Another Potential Red Sox Target Reportedly Lands With Dodgers

If the Red Sox had any visions of Kirby Yates coming out of their bullpen in 2025, it appears they’ll have to once again pivot.

There wasn’t much reporting tying Boston to the right-handed reliever, but he certainly would have made sense and fit well in the back end of the bullpen. However, the Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly done it again, tentatively agreeing to terms with Yates, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.

The potential move comes shortly after the reigning World Series champions made a major splash in their bullpen by reportedly landing top left-hander Tanner Scott — a reported Red Sox target — over the weekend. In fact, The Los Angeles Times previously noted the Dodgers’ interest in Yates, suggesting the team moved away from him and instead landed Scott.

Now, LA looks poised to come away with arguably the top two relievers on the market, leaving the rest of the league doing their best Jesse Pinkman impressions about the big-spending Dodgers.

As for the Red Sox, there are still options on the market. They might not be as good as Yates, of course, who was a three-win player in 2024 with a 1.17 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 61 appearances for the Texas Rangers. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo over the weekend predicted Boston would sign one of five relievers: Yates, Carlos Estévez, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle or Kyle Finnegan.

Any of those remaining four would be a viable option to add needed depth to the Red Sox bullpen, but Yates, a two-time All-Star, was certainly the best of that bunch.