All-Star Free Agent of Texas Rangers Could Fill Void for Kansas City Royals

Would this Texas Rangers reliever be a good fit for the Kansas City Royals?

Sep 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Kirby Yates (39) walks off the field after he pitches against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

After a disappointing campaign in 2024, the Texas Rangers are eagerly awaiting getting back on the field in 2025.

Injuries certainly played a part in their struggles, but this is a team that has plenty of talent to compete at a championship level in 2025.

Currently, Texas has what appears to be a strong starting rotation on paper with a nice mix of veterans and young starters. However, the big elephant in the room will be whether or not Jacob deGrom can stay healthy.

In their lineup, there is a lot to like about what will be out there daily, but if there is one area of potential concern, that could be their bullpen.

Their All-Star closer from last season is still a free agent, and he should have plenty of suitors who are title contenders.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently spoke about Kirby Yates being a perfect player to fill a void in the Kansas City Royals’ bullpen. He highlighted that, while he was an excellent closer for the Rangers, a role in the eighth inning might make more sense.

“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.”

It was a really strong season for the Royals in 2024.

They made the postseason as a Wild Card team and knocked out the Baltimore Orioles in two games. After that, they were handled rather easily by the New York Yankees, but there are a lot of reasons to believe that they will be a contender for the next few years.

The bullpen for Kansas City was led by the emergence of Lucas Erceg as the closer, and providing him with a pitcher like Yates as a setup man would be very appealing. Bridging the gap between their strong starting rotation and Erceg is an important thing to figure out for the Royals.

For the Rangers, keeping Yates should still be a priority for them.

Last season, he made the All-Star team and had a great showing overall.

The 37-year-old totaled 37 saves and a ridiculous 1.17 ERA. While those numbers might be an outlier, he can be an impact addition to any team, including if he re-signs with Texas.

While he will likely have a good amount of suitors, the Rangers should prioritize bringing him back for another year.