The Yankees have claimed left-handed reliever Matt Gage off waivers from the Astros, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He was designated for assignment last week. The team has not formally announced the move or a corresponding transaction, which will be required since New York currently has a full 40-man roster.
Gage, who’ll be 31 in a couple weeks, has spent time in the majors in each of the past two seasons, logging a combined 1.83 ERA in 19 2/3 innings between the Blue Jays and Astros. He’s punched out a strong 26% of his opponents but also demonstrated some shaky command, evidenced by 20 walks (11.7%) and one hit batter in just 77 faced as a big leaguer.
While Gage has an overall 5.17 ERA in parts of five Triple-A seasons, he’s been better there in the past two years (2.34 ERA in 42 1/3 innings in 2022, 4.58 ERA in 37 1/3 innings in 2023). A good portion of his Triple-A struggles came several years ago when he was working as a starter in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League while pitching in the Giants’ and Mets’ systems.
A move to the bullpen seems to have been agreeable to Gage, however, and like so many other Yankee bullpen targets, Gage will bring a track record of inducing ground-balls at a strong clip to his new club. He’s posted a 48.9% grounder rate in his limited MLB time and typically sits in the mid-40s at the Triple-A level as well. Overall, he has a 45.4% ground-ball rate in his time at the Triple-A level. He also has a minor league option remaining, so he can be sent to Scranton without first needing to pass through waivers.
The Yankees are generally light on established left-handed bullpen candidates. Gage certainly isn’t an established option himself, but he’ll join Victor Gonzalez, Matt Krook and Nick Ramirez as 40-man possibilities for the Yankees to evaluate this spring. The Yanks have reportedly been on the hunt for bullpen help in free agency but are also already into the fourth and highest tier of luxury penalization, meaning they’ll pay a 110% tax on any additional salaries added to the books. A reunion with Wandy Peralta is said to be of interest, but it’s not yet clear whether the Yankees will effectively spend double whatever the market bears (including tax penalties) in order to retain him. For now, they’ll stock up on some affordable depth as they continue surveying the market.
Who lol?
Gage, 31 next month, has been on Houston’s roster just under a year, having been claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays in February of 2023. He spent the year as frequently-optioned bullpen depth, making five appearances in the majors with a 2.70 earned run average. His 34 Triple-A appearances didn’t go as well, as he posted a 4.58 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He struck out 23.4% of batters at that level but also walked 12%.
The southpaw had a better year in 2022, tossing 42 1/3 Triple-A innings while with the Jays, posting a 2.34 ERA for Buffalo. He paired a 27.4% strikeout rate with a 9.5% walk rate and also kept the ball on the ground at a 47% clip. He also made 11 big league appearances for the Jays with a 1.38 ERA.
Never heard of him
Put his name in a search engine and magical things will happen. It’s called information. And you can learn from it!!!
Maybe you’ve read of him, though? Gotta be somewhere.
Likely will continue not to
It’s a bit humorous when posters shine a spotlight on their ignorance and wear it as a badge of honor.
Dude literally just rewrote exactly what the article says lmao
I just copied and pasted a chunk of the article about him when he was DFA’d last week lol.
Shortest arms in the business
What do the Astros know about this guy that made them give him up? Seems like a very solid relief pitcher/potential swing man based on his minor league stats and his brief appearances at the major league level.
Astros are short-handed in the bullpen yet they let this guy go. What does that say about Gage ?. He is very ordinary.
Perfect for us, trillionaire. Astros improved by getting Hader, Yankees, take their castoffs, the players are not good enough for the Astros. But perfect for Cashman. He’s been smelling too many fumes, his brain must be addled, as he’s been living in the dumpsters for so long to find his players.
It won’t be hard to gage the Yankees’ interest in this guy.
Good work by Cashman here
Yes, great work. He takes the players that are not good enough for the Astros. But at least he saved money he didn’t have to spend on Hader.
Matt is not nearly as well known as his brother, “twelve”.
His brother likes to ride shotgun.
I already told you, i was up with my uncle in alaska hunting wolverines!
And there’s your cheap Wandy alternative. So far in the majors he’s been good, but minors last year wasn’t as hot.
His last MLB outing in ’23 was on Jun. 15th so he doesn’t really inspire confidence with his AAA performance.
Salzilla, players, not good enough for the Astros, are perfect for Cashman. He’s been spending too much time in the dumpsters, and it shows.
Cashman’s so shell-shocked by Houston he looks as anyone discarded by them as gold.
Exactly
Saw goodbye to the beard Matt.
Yet another example of the Yankees done adding ANYONE worth a damn.
Looks like Cashman being cheap again. He didn’t want to bring back Houdini or Peralta
“Cashman being cheap”..What do the Yankees have to do, to quit being called “cheap” by spoiled, entitled, apparently blind fans? They give Cole a record 324M, sign Rodon to a 150M+ contract and trade for a VERY expensive luxury item, Juan Soto, that turned down OVER 400M+ from a previous employer. Calling them “cheap” suggests you don’t watch or pay attention to them much, are not an astute fan nor is baseball analysis your strong suit. In my opinion, besides their TOXIC, arrogant media, the biggest problem with the NY Yankees is their so called “fans”.
“What do the Yankees have to do, to quit being called “cheap” by spoiled, entitled, apparently blind fans?”
A.) Outbid others for and sign the best players that fill their needs available as soon as the market opens instead of waiting for the market to come to them…
B.) Get the best manager, coaches and operational executives and staff available ASAP and not just ones who will settle for whatever is offered on the condition they defer to the GM, analytical staff or non-baseball country club VIPs at all times or else…
C) Win playoff series and not just settle for getting there…
Yunnow, the things they used to be pretty good at around the turn of the century when Cashman was still fairly new to the job and hungry, and Hal wanted nothing to do with his father’s baseball franchise or his championship-or-bust fetish.
Considering their value and the resources they have available to them, the way they do things most often nowadays is objectively (and solely on principle, no less) called “being cheap” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Good signing
But one that most fans sadly won’t understand
You’re right. I don’t understand. This guy can’t be better than Wandy Peralta and Peralta isn’t going to cost but so much.
As usual Cashman is leaving the job unfinished.
Peralta is seeing $8 million per yr! Being a 3rd time offender over last tier they pay 110% penalty for every $1. No thank you
Anthony, I’d be shocked if he gets that much. I’d guess about half of that. He may want that and that might be why he’s still looking to get signed.
Yep, no way they are paying 16 million for Wandy! They will get someone at the deadline if needed.
As usual Joe. he’s quite satisfied with Astros castoffs. Shows how much he wants to be better than the Astros, he could not care less, only thing that matters is the bottom line. he just makes himself look like a fool, over and over again.
I’d like to know how much money they have spent on the 10 or more crap heap players they have assembled as a so-called depth
option.
Wouldn’t it be wiser Joe to just get one good player with some major league credentials, then all those journeyman or crap players? Of course, Cashman, usual MO, throw enough crap at the fan to see which one sticks. He obviously has no faith in his ability to select one good player that might actually work out.
They don’t sign him. Are you simple? they claimed him off waivers. do you have any idea what that means?
Good. Getting tired of seeing beards in baseball. The more bearded guys the Yankees sign the better for baseball.
I really they should get Middleton or Peralta but doesn’t look like it anymore. And if George was around we would have Snell and maybe even Bellinger!
George would have given them 10 year 300 million deals. And then attacked them in the back pages when they sucked and then traded all the Yankees prospects for even more overpriced talent. Imagine George paying Snell 300 million to pitch 5 innings? The Bronx Zoo would be back baby!!!
Yankees still scrounging for junk because they can’t sign anyone. Hasn’t anyone noticed that no one wants to play for the Yankees unless it’s their only offer [Stroman] ? Yankee fans still hopeful they land Snell, who seems to have a bigger personality issue than Stroman. Word is going around Snell is, well- not cool.
Maybe Boston or Tampa will pay wandy what he deserves. Why bother trading for Soto when they aren’t addressing their obvious needs.
The Yankees always have a great bullpen. Cause they know how to find arms and develop them. They are the last team that should be paying relievers. Victor Gonzalez will probably end up being way better than Wandy.
Another beardo gone too soon.
They need to stop screwing around … big market, big money, big spenders… let’s get peralta as our lefty. He’s proven he can handle tough situations and ny…imagine losing 5 or 6 games over a few extra million when you are the Yankees!!
Peralta’s peripherals last year should scare you. His FIP was nearly double his ERA..He also had a ton of trouble getting RHs out.
When he sucks next year Yankees fans would have been screaming at Cashman for being an idiot and not seeing into the future. Which ironically is what Cashman is doing.
If Cashman can see into the future he would see himself failing miserably getting Stanton instead of Harper.
Hindsight is always 20/20.
stanton deal was bloated at the time of the trade. taking on that whopping salary, even most of it, was a terrible decision no matter which way you frame it. missing on harper just to trade for stanton was a knee-jerk reaction that screamed time bomb before it even happened
Yanks are cornering the market on guys from the capital region
He will be 31 years old son and has only had a cuppa coffee in the Big’s. Doesn’t make any sense. Maybe he’s found a better pitch or maybe he’s now using steroids to improve his numbers in the minors and for the short time he played.
Seems like a guy the twins could’ve used in our bullpen…
Good pickup by the Yanks. Was hoping Houston could maybe get something for him in a trade
the only thing i have confidence in regarding the yankees is their ability to build a bullpen. don’t be surprised if he puts up better numbers than peralta
Solid pickup. Let’s see what Blake can do with him.