With a little more than a week before pitchers and catchers report, the Yankees and Dodgers continue to re-align their rosters. The Yankees picked up left-hander Caleb Ferguson, a 27-year-old with 247 strikeouts over 207.1 career innings and a pitcher who’s had a knack for generating weak contact.
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A Look at Ferguson
Since Caleb Ferguson first made his MLB debut back in 2018, the 27-year-old’s been one of the more effective left-handed relievers in the game.
That was true in 2023 when Ferguson struck out 70 over 60.1 IP and posted a GB% in the 80th percentile and Barrel% in the 97th percentile per Statcast.
The new Yankee throws hard for a lefty, as he’ll consistently hit the mid-to-upper 90s with his fastball that he can pound his efficacy.
However, arguably the crown jewel to his arsenal is a cutter that he’s used off and on in his career.
Ferguson’s cutter is a good weapon and one that he used against both left and right-handed hitters. It’s a high-80s pitch that just runs in on right-handed hitters, one that plays off the fastball and helped the new Yankee net weak contact.
Given his stout cutter, it’s not a shock that the 27-year-old had better stats (.702 OPS, 24.4% K%) against right-handed hitters as opposed to left-handed hitters (.748 OPS, 28.9% K%).
The other piece to Ferguson’s arsenal is a sweeper, a pitch he rarely used (2.8%) in 2023 and had a different shape to the curveball he often used throughout the early parts of his career.
Per the official team announcements, the Yankees acquired Caleb Ferguson in exchange for prospect Christian Zazueta and former Astros left-hander Matt Gage.
Gage has 20 strikeouts over 19.2 career Major League innings in relief. Zazueta is a 19-year-old who has spent the last two seasons in the DSL. In 2023, Zazueta struck out 50 over 52 innings.
Analysis
It’s the second notable move that the Yankees and Dodgers have made with one another this offseason. Back in December, the Dodgers sent Victor Gonzalez and Jorbit Vivas to New York for Trey Sweeney, a move made by Los Angeles to navigate 40-man roster gymnastics.
This move is a little different but it comes amidst reports that Los Angeles brought back Ryan Brasier on a two-year deal.
For the Dodgers, it’s a curious move on paper. Ferguson was a very good lefty and aside from Alex Vesia, SP/RP Ryan Yarbrough, and the newly-acquired Matt Gage — a journeyman lefty who was recently acquired by the Yankees off waivers — there’s not a ton of depth in terms of left-handed relievers on the Dodgers’ roster.
However, Brasier did introduce a cutter into his arsenal after he was acquired by the Dodgers last season and thrived. It also gives him a major weapon against left-handed hitters, which could explain the deal.
Ferguson, on the other hand, works well against right-handed pitching thanks to his fastball/cutter combo. And given that the Yankees lost Greg Weissert, Keynan Middleton, and changeup aficionado Wandy Peralta this winter, the addition of the 27-year-old should help replenish New York’s bullpen depth.