Yankees News: Reds sign former disappointing trade acquisition, 3 minor league moves

As Yankees fans sit back and rot, waiting for Brian Cashman and the front office to make a singular move of note, there are some other minor happenings that pertain to the team worth noting as the offseason.

The offseason has felt dead, for sure, but it's been active beneath the surface while the bigger names wait to find a landing spot. One of the smaller recent moves with Yankees ties involved former reliever Caleb Ferguson signing with the Cincinnati Reds.

Ferguson, if you remember, was part of the 2024 Yankees after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Dodgers (which helped LA clear roster space for Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, nice!). New York acquired Ferguson and sent pitchers Matt Gage and Christian Zazueta to the Dodgers. (This is not to be confused with the equally bad Trey Sweeney for Jorbit Vivas swap.)

In just a matter of months, the Yankees knew the deal was a lost cause, and they shipped Ferguson to the Houston Astros at the deadline. The left-hander finished with a 5.13 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 42 games with the Yankees, further adding to their bullpen woes.

Ferguson spent 2025 with the Pirates and Mariners. He was shipped off to Seattle at the trade deadline to help the AL West champs make a run, but he got shelled in the postseason and they fell short in Game 7 of the ALCS. The Reds filled a need here by acquiring a lefty reliever, but we're not sure how pleased they will be.

Yankees News: New York adds three more minor-league signings to ledger

In more Yankees-focused news, Cashman and Co. continue to add at the margins' margins. In years past, some of these moves have panned out, but for the most part, it's busy housekeeping work.

Fans caught wind of a few of the team's minor league dealings this offseason, and a bunch more were added to the list over the last week or so — three, to be exact!

Short is the most recognizable name here. The infielder (from Kingston, NY!) has spent time with the Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and most recently Houston Astros since 2021. He's mostly been Triple-A fodder, hanging around as an emergency depth option due to his solid defense (and versatility). The Yankees' third base issues have been well-documented in recent years, and the news that they plan to platoon Ryan McMahon isn't exactly inspiring. Expect to see Short in a worst-case scenario in 2026.

Then there are right-handers MacGregor and Chaney. MacGregor is a former second-round pick (2016) of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He's yet to reach the big leagues and finished with a 4.94 ERA and 1.51 WHIP between two Double-A stints with the Rangers and Brewers last year. Chaney spent all of 2025 in the Twins' system, logging a 3.77 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 26 games (21 starts) totaling 119 1/3 innings at High-A and Double-A. More upper-level minor league depth for New York. Nothing to see here.

Going to need a real transaction to excite us, and soon.