The Yankees bolstered their bullpen on Monday, acquiring left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson in a trade with the Dodgers in exchange for lefty Matt Gage and Minor League right-hander Christian Zazueta.
Ferguson, 27, posted a 3.43 ERA with 70 strikeouts and a 1.44 WHIP in 60 1/3 innings for Los Angeles last year. He tied for the Dodgers team lead with 68 appearances, including seven starts as a one-inning opener. He averaged 95.8 mph on his four-seam fastball, a career high, and he ranked in the 97th percentile in MLB with a 3% barrel rate.
The healthy season and velocity bump were big for Ferguson, who missed the 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2020. He was excellent upon his return to action in 2022, posting a 1.82 ERA with 37 punchouts over 34 2/3 innings, but he also spent some time on the IL that year with left forearm tendinitis.
Gage, 30, was recently claimed by the Yankees off waivers from the Astros, and he spent most of the 2023 season with Triple-A Sugar Land.
Zazueta, 19, has a 4.54 ERA over 73 1/3 innings for the Yankees’ Dominican Summer League affiliate over the past two seasons.
