The New York Yankees announced on Monday, Feb. 5, that they have acquired left-handed pitcher (LHP), Caleb Ferguson, from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for LHP Matt Gage and right-handed pitcher (RHP) Christian Zazueta. Gage was acquired by the Yankees from the Houston Astros in January, as reported.

 

Yankees representatives said Ferguson, 27, went 7-4 with three saves and a 3.43 earned run average (ERA) (60.1 innings pitched (IP), 64 hits (H), 30 R/23 earned runs (ER), 23 base on balls (BB), 70 strikeouts (K), 4 home runs (HR) in 68 appearances (seven starts) with the Dodgers in 2023.

 

They said he set career highs in appearances, innings pitched, strikeouts, saves and tied his career-high in wins last season. They said the left-handed pitcher was also tied for the most appearances among Dodgers pitchers in 2023. Among National League left-handed relievers, he ranked sixth in home runs allowed per nine innings (0.50) and groundball percentage (50.7%) last season.

 

According to the Yankees, Ferguson’s 2.58 ERA (87.1 IP, 25 ER) over the last two seasons (2022-23) is the sixth-lowest among Major League left-handed relievers over that span (min. 75.0 IP).

 

They said that over parts of five Major League seasons with Los Angeles-NL (2018-20, ‘22-23), Ferguson has gone 18-9 with five saves and a 3.43 ERA (207.1 IP, 185 H, 93 R / 79 ER, 82 BB, 247 K, 24 HR) in 201 career games (14 starts). They said he did not pitch in 2021 due to recovery from “Tommy John” surgery.

 

They said the native of Columbus, Ohio was originally drafted by Los Angeles-NL in the 38th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of West Jefferson High School (Ohio).

 

Meanwhile, they said Gage, 30, posted a 2.70 ERA (6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 1 HR) in five relief appearances with the Houston Astros in 2023. They said Gage spent the majority of last season with Triple-A Sugar Land, going 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA (37.1 IP, 41 H, 20 R/19 ER, 20 BB, 39 K, 5 HR) in 34 relief appearances and added that he was designated for assignment by Houston on January 22, 2024, and claimed off waivers by the Yankees on January 29.

 

Over parts of two Major League seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays (2022) and the Houston Astros (2023), the Yankees said Gage has gone 0-1 with a 1.83 ERA (19.2 IP, 12 H, 6 R / 4 ER, 9 BB, 20 K, 2 HR) in 16 career relief appearances. They said the native of Johnstown, N.Y. was originally selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 10^th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Siena College.

 

They said that Zazueta, 19, went 3-2 with a 3.29 ERA (52.0 IP, 41 H, 21 R / 19 ER, 16 BB, 50 K, 6 HR) in 12 starts with the DSL Yankees in 2023. They said over his first two professional seasons with the DSL Yankees (2022-23), Zazueta has gone 3-5 with a 4.54 ERA (73.1 IP, 65 H, 41 R / 37 ER, 22 BB, 75 K, 10 HR) in 20 career starts. They said the native of Navojoa, México was signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on January 17, 2022.

 

In addition, earlier on Monday, the Yankees said that Diego Castillo was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Phillies.

 

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