Although the Los Angeles Dodgers were plenty active in upgrading their roster, they recently were said to be in search of another late-inning relief pitcher.
The Dodgers were linked to a potential trade and reunion with Kenley Jansen, and had continued to keep tabs on Ryan Brasier in what’s been a relatively quiet offseason across the sport.
But prior to adding to their bullpen, the Dodgers traded Caleb Ferguson to the New York Yankees on Monday morning. The Dodgers had previously traded Victor González to the Yankees in order to make room on their 40-man roster.
According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Dodgers’ return in the Ferguson trade includes Matt Gage, who had recently been claimed off waivers by the Yankees:
Matt Gage goes to Dodgers as part of the trade https://t.co/JHCqdvX8Od
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 5, 2024
One of the factors behind the Dodgers trading Ferguson likely was team control. Ferguson is due to become a free agent after the 2024 season and with five years of Major League service time, cannot be optioned to the Minors without approving it.
Gage has one option year remaining but has yet to go through the arbitration process and won’t reach free agency until 2030.
Gage made his MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022 but spent last season with the Houston Astros. He only appeared in 11 games for Toronto and just five with Houston.
Thus far in a brief Major League career, the left-hander is 0-1 with a 1.83 ERA, 3.97 FIP and 1.07 WHIP in the 16 relief appearances. The 30-year-old registered 20 strikeouts against nine walks over 19.2 innings pitched.
The Yankees had claimed Gage off waivers from the Astros at the end of January.
Dodgers re-sign Ryan Brasier
Trading Ferguson amounted to the Dodgers having just two left-handed relievers on their 40-man roster. Gage adds to that group, but re-signing Brasier is likely to have a larger impact on the Dodgers bullpen.
Brasier shined after joining the team on a Minor League contract last season and re-signed on a two-year deal. Part of Brasier’s success was reverse splits, which theoretically helps fill the void created by trading Ferguson.
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