TYLER YATES

8/7/77; '98 23rd (Oakland); Univ. of Hawaii-Hilo
R/R; 6-4, 241

Level
W-L-Sv
G
GS
IP
H
 HR
BB
K
 BB/9 K/9 WHIP OAVG
ERA
1998 A- (Oak)
0-0-1
2
0
2.1
2
 0
0
1
 0.0 3.9 0.86 .222
0.00
1998 R (Oak)
0-0-2
15
0
23.0
28
 0
14
20
 5.5 7.8 1.83 .304
3.91
1999 A+ (Oak)
2-5-4
47
1
82.1
98
 12
35
74
 3.8 8.1 1.62 .290
5.47
2000 AA (Oak)
1-1-0
22
0
26.1
28
 2
15
24
 5.1 8.2 1.63 .275
6.15
2000 A+ (Oak)
4-2-1
30
0
56.2
50
 2
23
61
 3.7 9.7 1.29 .237
2.86
2001 AAA (Oak)
1-0-1
4
0
5.1
3
 0
1
3
 1.7 5.1 0.75 .167
0.00
2001 AA (Oak)
4-6-17
56
0
62.2
66
 4
27
61
 3.9 8.8 1.48 .261
4.31
2002 AAA (NYM)
2-2-6
24
0
34.0
29
 1
13
34
 3.4 9.0 1.24 .227
1.32
2003 AAA (NYM)
1-2-0
4
4
20.0
22
 1
9
15
 4.1 6.8 1.55 .289
4.05
2003 AA (NYM)
1-2-0
8
8
39.1
33
 4
17
36
 3.9 8.2 1.27 .223
4.35
2003 A+ (NYM)
1-2-0
14
11
48.0
41
5
24
49
4.5
9.2
1.35
.232
4.31
2004 NL (NYM)
2-4-0
21
7
46.2
61
 6
25
35
 4.8 6.8 1.84 .311
6.36
2004 AAA (NYM)
6-2-4
30
1
39.2
28
 2
22
43
 5.0 9.8 1.26 .190
3.18
2005 INJURED
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
2006 NL (Atl)
2-5-1
56
0
50.0
42
 6
31
46
 5.6
8.3
1.46
.228
3.96
2006 AAA (Atl)
0-0-0
7
0
8.1
6
 0
3
10
 3.2
10.8
1.08
.214
2.16
2007 NL (Atl)
2-3-2
75
0
66.0
64
 6
31
69
 4.2
9.4
1.44
.251
5.18
2008 NL
6-3-1
72
0
73.1
72
6
41
63
5.0
7.7
1.54
.254
4.66
2009 NL
0-2-0
15
0
12.0
14
2
7
9
5.3
6.8
1.75
.311
7.50

The Pirates acquired Yates from the Braves for Todd Redmond. The Braves had a roster crunch and Yates was out of options. Yates fit Neal Huntington's preference for power pitchers, as his fastball averages around 95. He also throws a slider. His minor league history was erratic, culminating in the Mets' failed attempt to turn him into a starter. He missed 2005 due to surgery on a torn rotator cuff. Surprisingly, he bounced back quickly, pitching very well for the Braves despite only brief time in AAA.

Yates has had a strong platoon split, with a career opponents' OPS+ of 134 against LH batters and 77 against RH batters. His K rate has been good in the majors, but he obviously walks too many. He had a strong first half in 2007, posting a 3.06 ERA, but he got hammered in July and posted a second half ERA of 7.63. It's possible he tired from the frequent appearances.

After opening as the primary RH setup reliever, Yates struggled until late in the 2008 season. Throughout the first half, control was the issue. His strikeout total didn't climb above his walk total until some time in July. Because Yates' ERA remained under 4.00 until late July, some fans and the team's broadcasters seemed to think Yates was a great acquisition, but he was a classic example of how misleading relief ERAs can be. His WHIP through the All-Star break was 1.59, but other relievers bailed him out of a number of jams. In July and August, Yates started posting better BB and K numbers, but he allowed 32 hits in 22 IP, and reality finally settled in on his ERA. In September, however, Yates allowed only two runs, two walks and seven hits in 11 IP, while fanning 18. He even fanned seven of the last nine batters he faced. Oddly, though, the Pirates blamed Yates' poor overall season on the notion that he wore down. This makes little sense because his workload varied little from month to month, he pitched poorly early in the season despite the decent ERA, and his best month by a huge margin was September. Spin games apparently didn't depart with Dave Littlefield.

Yates should have been a candidate to be non-tendered during the off-season, especially considering that he was eligible for arbitration, but the Pirates continued in their firm belief that he's a good reliever. For a team that ascribes heavily to statistical analysis, or that just looks at the back of baseball cards for that matter, this belief is baffling. Despite the fact that he'd had just one good half-season in a four-year major league career, he opened 2009 as the Pirates' top RH setup man. He pitched badly until he went on the DL with a sore elbow in late April. His rehab didn't go well and he ultimately underwent Tommy John surgery. He'll be out until sometime in 2010.  The Pirates waived him after the season and he opted for free agency.  They may try to sign him to a minor league deal, as he's unlikely to get a major league deal anywhere.  Hopefully he'll find somewhere else to go.

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