The New York Yankees are moving a lefty reliever out of town, but they have unexpectedly reached an agreement with a bitter American League opponent.
The New York Yankees failed to benefit from their offseason transaction.
And, with only a few hours till the MLB trade deadline of 6 p.m. on Tuesday, they found a trading partner for left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson.
The surprise is that the Yankees traded the struggling Ferguson to the AL foe Houston Astros. Jack Curry of the YES Network was the first to report that the Yankees had traded Ferguson to Houston for a minor leaguer and international pool money.
Kelly Austin, a right-handed pitcher, was later revealed by New York as the minor leaguer.
The Yankees acquired Ferguson from the Los Angeles Dodgers this past offseason, but they were unable to maximize his potential. In 42 games, the veteran southpaw had an awful 5.13 ERA in pinstripes.
Ferguson was a reliable bullpen option in Los Angeles over the last five seasons, posting a 3.43 ERA in 201 appearances. He didn’t have the same luck in the Bronx.
The Astros didn’t give up much to get Ferguson, and now they have a chance to realize his full potential, which might impact the Yankees down the road.
That being said, New York acquired right-handed reliever Mark Leiter Jr. from the Chicago Cubs earlier this afternoon, which is a significant upgrade to their bullpen.
With little under two hours till the deadline, the Yankees could still have some moves in the tank.
AL Gerrit Cole, the Cy Young winning ace, was withdrawn from his start on Tuesday due to bodily exhaustion. The Yankees have been looking for a starter, and their lack of one may become much more apparent.