Yankees reportedly add Dodgers lefty reliever to fill bullpen in surprise trade

The New York Yankees have collaborated with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a trade for one of LA's recently viable surplus left-handed relievers (no, not that one!).

In an unexpected sequel to the Victor González/Jorbit Vivas/Trey Sweeney trade that helped the Dodgers clear two crucial 40-man roster spots back in September, the Yankees further shored up their relief depth from the left-hand side on Monday by acquiring Caleb Ferguson.

Ferguson was a strong performer in 2023, but his best work was done in '22, when he struck out 37 men in 34 2/3 innings, allowing 23 hits and posting a 1.82 ERA. Now, his sturdy work will join a Yankees relief corps that officially lost Wandy Peralta last week, and probably needed a veteran addition, preferably one that hurls using the arm Ferguson relies on.

Jury's out on whether he can be a reliable member of the seventh/eighth-inning corps like Peralta was, though, or just an effective soaker of the middle innings.

Yankees trade DSL prospect, Quadruple-A pitcher for Dodgers left-hander Caleb Ferguson

With more details on the trade, here's Joel Sherman, with what effectively amounts to a Mad Lib:

The Quad-A name, per Jon Heyman, is lefty Matt Gage, recently claimed from the Astros. Matt Blake hardly knew him.

As long as that Dominican Summer League prospect isn't Henry Lalane (and it shouldn't be, considering he made it to the Yankees' über talented Florida Complex League roster last year), it seems the Yankees swapped a dream and a bit of Triple-A pitching depth in exchange for a lefty reliever who posted a 3.43 ERA and whiffed 70 men in 60 1/3 innings last year (and was even better than his surface numbers, according to Savant, thanks to his remarkable ability to keep the ball off the barrel).

Did the Yankees find the spiritual successor to Magic Wandy in their recent favorite place to shop? That's yet to be determined. But considering González's recent injury history and backslide since 2020, it made sense to grab the Dodgers' more reliable lefty, too, if the opportunity presented itself.