Yankees make another deal with Dodgers, add lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson
In a further juggling of midlevel relievers, the Yankees acquired lefty Caleb Ferguson from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Monday’s trade sent lefty Matt Gage and right-hander Christian Zazueta to the Dodgers.
Gage, 30, lasted barely a week in the Yankees organization, after being picked up on waivers from the Houston Astros, following Houston’s signing of free agent Josh Hader.
Despite a desire to further upgrade their pitching, the Yankees have watched the likes of old friends David Robertson (Texas Rangers), Wandy Peralta (San Diego Padres) and Keynan Middleton (St. Louis Cardinals) sign recent free agent contracts elsewhere.
And in a bold move, the defending AL East champ Baltimore Orioles last week swung a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for Corbin Burnes, putting the right-hander atop their rotation.
Acquired from the Dodgers in a December trade, Victor Gonzalez could emerge as the Yankees’ best replacement for Peralta.
Ferguson, 27, provides additional depth, having appeared in 68 games last season.
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Entering his free agent walk year, Ferguson, a former 38th round draft pick (2014), posted a 3.43 ERA last season, with 70 strikeouts and 23 walks in 60.1 innings.
He went 7-4 with three saves and four homers allowed, and his 2.58 ERA over the last two seasons (87.1 innings) is the sixth lowest among MLB lefty relievers in that span (minimum 75 innings). Ferguson did not pitch in 2021 due to recovery from Tommy John surgery.
Lefty hitters posted a higher OPS (.748) against Ferguson than right-handed hitters (.702) in 2023.
Gage, 30, made just five appearances (2.70 ERA) with Houston in 2023, having spent the bulk of the season with the Astros’ Class AAA affiliate.
Zazueta, 19, who signed in 2022 as a non-drafted free agent, posted a 3.29 ERA in 12 starts last season with the Yankees’ Dominican Summer League team, with 50 strikeouts and 16 walks in 52 innings.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees add Caleb Ferguson in trade with Dodgers, bolster bullpen
