Former Padres closer becomes the Angels’ next frantic bargain bet

San Diego Padres fans don’t need a reminder that bullpen dominance can be fleeting, but the Los Angeles Angels signed a fleeting arm anyway.

The Angels finalized a one-year, $5 million deal with former Padres closer and veteran reliever Kirby Yates on Jan. 6. He’ll also reunite with pitching coach Mike Maddux, who helped oversee Yates’ ridiculous 2024 run with the Rangers (33 saves, 1.17 ERA), which is basically Angels bio right now: low commitment, high upside, and a prayer circle around “bounce-back.” 

Kirby Yates signs with Angels in a frantic bargain spree Padres fans know too well

If you watched the 2019 Padres, you remember the cheat code version of Yates. He led MLB in saves with 41 while posting a 1.19 ERA, and he ended up on the All-MLB First Team. That year was also a fun little “yes, San Diego exists” moment — he made the All-Star Game and was the guy you trusted when the ninth inning showed up. 

A lot of that came from the splitter that the Padres leaned into hard, turning him from waiver-claim curiosity into a legit endgame weapon. And then, like so many reliever stories, it ended fast: 2020 went sideways, he made only six appearances, and elbow surgery to remove bone chips basically slammed the door on that era. 

Here’s where the Padres lens kicks in: this signing isn’t about San Diego “missing out.” It’s about watching a division-ish neighbor (and general chaotic franchise) try to duct-tape a pitching staff together with one-year bets.

Yates is coming off a rough, injury-choppy 2025 with the Dodgers — a 5.23 ERA in 50 appearances, with hamstring issues and enough IL time to make the year feel like three separate seasons. But the Angels don’t exactly have the luxury of being picky after a 2025 staff that finished near the bottom of the league in ERA. 

Yates is part of a broader bargain spree: the Angels have also handed out one-year deals to relievers Jordan Romano and Drew Pomeranz, signed Alek Manoah, traded for Vaughn Grissom, and even moved for Grayson Rodriguez in a cost-cutting swap, sending Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles. 

It’s a little nostalgic for San Diego… and a little funny. The Angels are trying to buy the feeling of a functional pitching staff one discounted lottery ticket at a time — and they just grabbed a familiar name who once made Petco Park feel like the safest place on earth in the ninth inning.