The New York Yankees were in need of a reliever to complete their roster for the upcoming 2024 season. While they weren’t able to sign Josh Hader, their fans had hoped they would bring in one of Hector Neris, Keynan Middleton, Phil Maton, or Wandy Peralta. Unfortunately, all of these players recently signed with other teams, leaving the Yankees without many viable options. However, the Yankees found a solution by executing a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. According to a tweet from Talkin’ Yanks, the Yankees have acquired left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson from the Dodgers. Ferguson had a 3.43 ERA in 68 games last season and a 1.82 ERA in 37 games in 2022. The Yankees made this move to strengthen their bullpen and provide some much-needed depth.
Ferguson is not on the same level as Hader, but that is to be expected. No one should be expected to replicate Hader’s performance. The trade for Ferguson came at a reasonable cost for the Yankees. They only had to give up Matt Gage, a left-handed reliever they recently claimed off waivers from the Houston Astros, and Christian Zazueta Jr., a young pitching prospect who is currently playing in the Dominican Summer League. At 27 years old, Ferguson is a talented pitcher who is on par with Maton, Middleton, and others in that category. Over the past two seasons with the Dodgers, he has maintained a 2.84 ERA, a 3.21 FIP, and a 3.1 percent barrel rate in 95 innings. These numbers prove that he is a reliable middle reliever who will complement the Yankees’ predominantly right-handed bullpen.