MLB insider links former Rangers closer to KC Royals in free agency

The Kansas City Royals have been linked to high-leverage relievers all offseason, and after the disappointing performance of their bullpen in 2024, it's certainly no surprise. Now, a new free agent target has been thrown into the mix. On January 17, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter listed "1 Realistic Option to Plug Each MLB Team's Biggest Roster Hole," and while commenting on the Royals' need to bolster their bullpen, he suggested the team target former Texas Rangers reliever Kirby Yates.

"The Royals made the jump from rebuilding to playoff contention faster than expected in 2024, and along the way acquired hard-throwing Lucas Erceg to shore up the closer's role," Reuter wrote. "Given his limited track record in the late innings, it might be safer to slot him in the eighth inning role and pursue an established closer. Yates, 37, was one of the best relievers in baseball in 2024 with a 1.17 ERA and 33 saves in 61 appearances, and he will likely be available on a short-term deal given his age."

So could Yates be the relief option the Royals have been looking for?

Kirby Yates could bolster the KC Royals bullpen

In 2024, Kansas City's bullpen posted a combined ERA of 4.13 to rank 20th in in MLB, while their 1.33 WHIP placed them even lower at 23rd, and they were dead last in strikeouts at 463. Still, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo was almost bizarrely optimistic about the state of the relief corps when he was asked at the GM Meetings at the end of the season.

“That’s something we’ll let play out in the offseason," he told MLB.com. "We feel very good about our bullpen. Doesn’t mean we won’t do anything, but we feel very good about the depth of our bullpen right now.”

Still, the Royals have been linked to relievers all winter, and considering the team is looking to secure another playoff berth this year, bolstering the bullpen before Opening Day is crucial.

Yates posted a 7-2 record with a 1.17 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 33 saves, and 85 strikeouts in 61 innings of work with the Rangers last season, marking career-best stats in both ERA and WHIP, and ranking in the 98th percentile of all MLB pitchers in strikeout rate. The 2025 season will be his 11th in the majors, with the 37-year-old also having enjoyed stints with the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, and Atlanta Braves since his debut in June 2014.

While there's no question that Yates is more experienced than Lucas Erceg, who the Royals acquired at the trade deadline last year, Kansas City has repeatedly expressed their excitement to see him continue in the closer role. Despite Reuter's suggestion that Yates take over, Erceg is effectively locked in as the team's closer for 2025, so it's likely that should the Royals sign Yates, they would utilize him as a reliable set-up man.

Regardless of whether he slots in as the closer or set-up man, Yates would boost the Royals' relief corps, especially if he can repeat the impressive stats he posted in 2024. With Sportrac projecting he will land a one-year, $6 million contract out of free agency this offseason, he's a a budget-friendly option that Kansas City should definitely consider.