Oh boy, the baseball world’s buzzing again. The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees just can’t seem to stay away from each other. They’ve gone and made another trade. This time, the Yankees are snagging lefty Caleb Ferguson. In return? They’re sending over LHP Matt Gage and RHP Christian Zazueta. Yep, the teams made it official on Monday.
Now, this ain’t the first rodeo for these two this offseason. Remember back in December? The Yankees got their hands on another lefty, Victor González. Plus, they snagged infield prospect Jorbit Vivas. All it cost them was Trey Sweeney, a former first-round pick. That deal was a bit of a roster shuffle for the Dodgers, making room for big names like Joe Kelly and Shohei Ohtani. Meanwhile, the Yankees had some space to play with after the Juan Soto trade.
Let’s talk about Ferguson for a sec. The dude’s 27 and pitched 60 1/3 innings last year. Not too shabby with a 3.43 ERA. But, uh, his stats against lefties? Could be better. He even started seven games as an opener. But, get this, the Yankees? They hardly ever pull that move. Ferguson’s on track to hit free agency after 2024. He’s stepping in for Wandy Peralta, who just bolted for the San Diego Padres.
So, what’s the Yankees’ bullpen looking like now with Ferguson? Well, it’s Aaron Boone’s puzzle to solve. But, keep your eyes peeled. The Dodgers and Yankees might not be done dealing just yet.
Switching gears to the Dodgers. With Ferguson out, they’re probably gonna lean on Alex Vesia as their main lefty in the bullpen. They’ve also got Ryan Yarbrough, but he’s more of a jack-of-all-trades. And guess what? Right after the trade news hit, the Dodgers snagged Ryan Brasier. Two years, $9 million. Not too shabby for a guy who turned his season around with a new cutter after a rocky start in Boston.
Now, about the guys heading to the Dodgers. Gage, 30, has been around the block. Toronto, Houston, and now New York. He’s got a solid 1.83 ERA in the big leagues. Zazueta’s just 19, fresh from two seasons in the Dominican Summer League. Kid’s got potential.
Last season? A bit of a rollercoaster. The Yankees finished 82-80. Ouch, their worst since ’92. The Dodgers, on the other hand, cruised to a 100-62 record. Dominated the NL West again. But, the playoffs? Not so much. Got swept by the Diamondbacks in the Division Series. Baseball, am I right? Always full of surprises.
