The discussion about which lefty joins the full 40-man roster for the New York Yankees is finally over. Though the club has not officially announced the move or any subsequent transaction details, sources come bearing news. This time it is the former Houston Astros’ southpaw who was claimed off waivers. 

“Left-hander Matt Gage was claimed by the New York Yankees off waivers from the Houston Astros on Monday”, read apnews.com. Thanks to Houston signing Josh Hader which in turn became helpful for the Yankees bullpen. The 30-year-old debuted with the Toronto Blue Jays and then went on to join the Astros last year. Now, he is a Yankee. 

The New York Yankees Found Their Lefty 

Jon Heyman tweeted about the New York (Johnstown) native, “Yankees claim lefty reliever, Matt Gage”. Gage too took to Twitter to share his feelings about making it to the Big Apple dream team. His words were, “Very blessed for every new opportunity to Chase the Dream!”

Their new claim posted a 2.70 ERA in 5 major league relief appearances and recorded 1-1 last season with a 4.58 ERA in 34 games at Triple-A Sugar Land. As far as his 16 MLB relief appearances are concerned, he is a 0-1 with a 1.83 ERA including 2022 when he was in Toronto.

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Gage was designated for assignment last week to accommodate Hader, who joined the Astros’ roster and signed a five-year, $95 million contract. The Yanks on the other hand, in order to open a spot for Gage on their roster, designated Diego Castillo ( infielder/outfielder) for assignment. This followed 10 days post claiming him off waivers from the New York Mets.

Watch This Story : MLB Rumors: New York Yankees Turn to Budget-Friendly Bullpen Options, Quest to Strengthen Pitching Depth Continues

Matt Gage – Past and Future 

The newest Yankee was drafted in 2014 by the San Francisco Giants in 2014 as an SP. He then moved on to the Mexican League in 2019 to pitch and an independent league in 2020. But soon after, he joined the Arizona Diamondbacks system in 2021 as a reliever. What also offers great flexibility is that Gage still has a minor league option remaining. This means he can be sent to Scranton skipping the need to pass through waivers.

Hector Neris Signs with Cubs, Yankees Bullpen Hopes Down to 2 Names

The face offers promise however their left-handed bullpen candidates are “light” as per mlbtraderumors.com. The Yankees crave reinforcements for their bullpen, but their sky-high luxury tax casts a long shadow. They could have Wandy Peralta on board, but doubling the cost to retain Peralta might be a step too far. For now, what will fill the gaps is affordable depth.