‘Under-the-Radar’ Texas Rangers Free Agent Could Be Steal of Free Agency

A veteran Texas Rangers pitcher on the free agent market is flying under the radar despite recent dominance.

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

One area of the team the Texas Rangers wanted to address coming into the offseason was their bullpen.

They have done that, adding an array of arms via free agency and trade.

Shawn Armstrong, Jacob Webb, Hoby Milner, Robert Garcia and Chris Martin were all brought in. Holdover Josh Sborz was the setup man last season, giving Bruce Bochy a nice group of relievers to work with.

The only thing missing from that group is a bonafide closer, as none of them have much experience saving games.

Many would assume that is something the team would look to change, especially with so many options remaining in free agency. But, after signing Martin earlier this week, their attention is no longer on adding bullpen arms.

For now, the Rangers are comfortable with what they have and believe a closer will emerge from this group.

More than likely, that means their closer from last season, veteran Kirby Yates, will be looking to sign a deal elsewhere.

Set to turn 38 years old in March, there would certainly be some risks in giving him a multi-year deal. But, it is something he has earned with his performance over the last two seasons since returning from Tommy John surgery.

If Texas is comfortable allowing him to walk in free agency, another team is going to get a steal with a player who is being overlooked and underrated this offseason.

“Speaking of under the radar: Yates' 2024 season with the Rangers went without much recognition, even though it was one of the most dominant relief seasons in recent history. He went 7-2 with 33 saves and a 1.17 ERA while holding batters to a .113 average and a .407 OPS. Among pitchers with at least 60 innings pitched, that's the lowest batting average ever allowed and the eighth-lowest OPS,” wrote David Schoenfield of ESPN.

Earning his second All-Star nod in 2024, Yates also finished eighth in the Cy Young voting, an impressive feat since he was a closer on a team that didn’t qualify for the playoffs, winning only 78 games.

Part of the reason for his success was that he was able to limit hard contact and home runs.

He surrendered only three long balls and the opponent’s average exit velocity was just 87.6 MPH, resulting in a paltry 33.1 hard-hit percentage.

That is two campaigns in a row he has made 61 appearances with stellar results, as he was in the late-game mix with the Atlanta Braves in 2023 before signing a one-year, $4 million deal with the Rangers.