The New York Yankees had been looking for bullpen pitchers at the correct pricing point for several weeks. They have two former Houston Astros on their board: Hector Neris and Phil Maton.
Neris signed with the Chicago Cubs, and Maton joined the San Diego Padres, prompting the Yankees to go elsewhere. On Monday, it was revealed that they reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers to acquire Caleb Ferguson in exchange for two prospects.
Trade Details and Prospects Involved
The Yankees specifically sent Matt Gage and Christian Zazueta out west. Interestingly, Gage was acquired from the Astros via waivers only last week. Clearly, the Dodgers were interested in Gage and prepared to trade one of their bullpen pitchers to get him plus a prospect.
Gage is 30 years old and a left-handed pitcher. This past season, he had a 2.70 ERA in 6.2 innings for Houston and 37.1 innings with their Triple-A affiliate. He has 19.2 innings of MLB activity with a 1.83 ERA, indicating there is some upside to extract.
Ferguson’s Role and the Yankees’ Rotation Concerns
In exchange, the Yankees will use Ferguson as a major bullpen piece, and as a lefty starter, he adds some diversity to a right-handed-heavy lineup.
Ferguson has one more year of team control before becoming a free agent in 2025, so the Yankees essentially signed another rental. In 2022, he had a 1.82 ERA over 34.2 innings after posting a 3.43 ERA over 60.1 innings the previous season.
The Yankees appear to be focusing on 2024, as a large number of players will be eligible for free agency in 2025. Ferguson is a welcome addition, but most are concerned about the team’s starting lineup.
