The Pittsburgh Pirates added a versatile pitcher to the staff Wednesday, agreeing to one-year, $3 million deal with lefty Caleb Ferguson, according to a source.
Ferguson, 28, has the potential to work in relief or join the starting rotation.
He was 1-4 with a 4.64 ERA, 67 strikeouts and one save in 62 appearances last season with the New York Yankees and Houston Astros. He allowed 28 earned runs in 54⅓ innings.
Ferguson relied on a cutter last season that generated a 33.6 whiff percentage and .130 batting average against.
The Pirates were looking to bolster their bullpen after Aroldis Chapman signed with the Red Sox earlier in the offseason.
Since the start of the 2022 season, Ferguson’s 3.37 ERA ranks 13th among all left-handed relievers with at least 140 innings pitched.
Ferguson is 19-13 with a 3.68 ERA, 314 strikeouts and a .240 batting average against over 263 innings, including 14 starts. He has spent six seasons in the major leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2018-20, 2022-23), Yankees and Astros. He was part of the Dodgers’ World Series championship team in 2020.
He began last season with the Yankees after being traded by the Dodgers in February. He was then dealt to the Astros on July 30 and helped Houston win the AL West title.
Ferguson, who grew up in nearby Columbus, Ohio, struggled with the Yankees, compiling a 1-3 record with a 5.13 ERA in 42 appearances out of the bullpen. In Houston, he was 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 20 appearances.
Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.
