MLB veteran Kirby Yates is poised to continue his baseball career in Southern California.
The 38-year-old right-handed reliever from Kauai agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Angels for the 2026 season, according to multiple reports Tuesday.
The club had not confirmed the deal as of Tuesday afternoon. Ari Alexander of 7News Boston was the first to report the news while Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported it will be for $5 million.
Pending a physical, it will be Yates’ 12th season in the big leagues and a return to one of the seven MLB franchises that have deployed him in an official game. He will play for Kurt Suzuki, the Maui native who will make his debut as an MLB manager — also on a one-year deal.
Yates made one appearance for the Angels in 2017, then was claimed off waivers by the San Diego Padres.
After battling through some injury-plagued seasons, he rediscovered his All-Star form with the Texas Rangers in 2024 and parlayed that into a one-year, $12 million deal with the Dodgers in 2025.
But Yates was limited by injuries and posted a 5.23 earned-run average in 41.1 innings over 50 appearances for the eventual World Series champions. He struck out 52 against 17 walks before shutting it down for the season in late September. He did not appear in the Dodgers’ postseason run, but did collect a World Series ring and participate in the team’s victory parade.