Angels insider may have revealed sneaky motivation for Kirby Yates signing

At first blush, it could seem like the Los Angeles Angels' signing of Kirby Yates was some sign of the club desperately clinging to relevance by gobbling up the crosstown Dodgers' sloppy seconds. With the World Series champs last season, Yates had become so unusable that he was left off the Dodgers' postseason roster despite signing a not-insignificant $13 million deal last winter.

Now entering his age-39 season, it seems likely he'd get worse, not better, after posting a 5.23 ERA in 2025. Still, the Halos were desperate for bullpen help, and at a paltry $5 million, Yates seemed like a decent gamble. The ceiling might not be incredibly high, but there is a floor, and that's more than you can say about a lot of relievers at that price point.

Looking at things more closely, though, there could be a method to the madness. As Angels beat reporter Rhett Bollinger points out, we've saw Yates put together the best season of his career in 2024 with the Rangers under the tutelage of new Angels pitching coach Mike Maddux. Maddux is one of the most celebrated additions to Kurt Suzuki's staff, and for good reason; he's one of the best pitching coaches in the game.

Angels insider Rhett Bollinger hints that Mike Maddux's work with Kirby Yates with the Rangers could get the former All-Star back on track in LA

Yates' career mirrors that of many relievers. There have been flashes of dominance, like his 2018 and 2019 campaigns with the San Diego Padres when he posted ERAs of 2.14 and 1.19, respectively, and also notched 41 saves in the latter season.

There have been moments when he's been borderline unplayable. In addition to last year's showing with the Dodgers, his 5.23 ERA in 2016 with the New York Yankees is a perfect example. Then there are times that he's been good, but not great, like the 2023 season that saw him record a 3.28 ERA with the Atlanta Braves.

Throughout it all, Yates strikes out hitters in bunches, but walks too many. He's a fly-ball pitcher who occasionally sees far too many balls leave the yard. However, in 2024, while working with Maddux in Texas, Yates turned in the best season of his career. He twirled a stunning 1.17 ERA, posted a stellar 35.9% strikeout rate, and kept the homers to a minuscule 0.44 HR/9, a career-best.

Yates is just a two-pitch pitcher, relying on his fastball and splitter, but despite the lack of variety, there was a notable difference in how the offerings were deployed.

With Maddux in his ear, Yates threw his fastball more than ever before (save for the 4.1 innings he logged in 2020) at 60.8%. That brought his splitter usage down to just 38.7%. While the splitter is his out-pitch, too much of a good thing can knock things out of whack. It appears that his splitter became more effective once he was deployed more sparingly.

Now the Angels will look for the pitching guru to work his magic with the veteran reliever once more. Sometimes, there's a connection that makes things truly click, and if we see Yates bounce back in 2026, it will more than likely be because Maddux worked his magic. Keep an eye on how he deploys his arsenal; it could make all the difference.