Kirby Yates’ career is over, and the Angels chapter will be remembered as the one that never quite got off the ground.
Over the weekend, Yates announced his retirement, according to AJ Eustace of MLBTradeRumors.com. The Los Angeles Angels had signed the right-handed reliever to a minor-league deal in the offseason hoping he could close games, but that plan unraveled quickly. Instead of locking down the ninth inning, Yates became a shaky fit in the role, and the Angels eventually had to move him out of it.
He finished his time in Anaheim with 31 appearances, an 0-5 record and a 3.95 ERA. Those numbers only tell part of the story, though, because the Angels shifted him into low-leverage work after he struggled as closer. In the save opportunities, he had three blown saves and three saves before the team sent him to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the deadline in a minor trade.
Yates was much better after the move. With Pittsburgh, he posted a 1.80 ERA, and manager Don Kelly even used him as the opener against the Detroit Tigers in a game that included the final start of Justin Verlander.
Near the end of his career, Yates said he was “running on fumes,” and that line fits the final stretch of his time with the Angels. The team had brought him in to reconnect with pitching coach Mike Maddux, who had worked well with Yates during their time together with the Texas Rangers. But Yates was dealing with low velocity, and Maddux was fired by the Angels in midseason.
Yates also spent time with the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers, but his peak came with the San Diego Padres in 2018 and 2019. Over those two seasons, he logged 123-2/3 innings, struck out 38.7 percent of the hitters he faced, walked 6.1 percent, and got ground balls at a 45.2 percent clip.
He was even more dominant in 2019, when he put up a 1.19 ERA, saved 41 games, and made his first All-Star team. That season also brought Cy Young Award votes, and it stands as one of the great closer seasons ever.
Yates’ run with San Diego ended in 2020 because of bone chips in his elbow, and he blew out his elbow the next spring with the Toronto Blue Jays. For Angels fans, he’ll be remembered as a pitcher who always took the ball when asked, even when the team was leaning on him in those low-leverage innings after the season had gone sideways.
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