Pirates to Sign High-Strikeout Lefty Caleb Ferguson

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement with left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson on a one-year, $3 million deal for 2025, a source confirmed to Pittsburgh Baseball Now. The deal is pending a physical. 

Ferguson, a six-year veteran, split the 2024 season between the New York Yankees and Houston Astros. After a sluggish start to the season with New York, he was dealt to Houston at the trade deadline and finished the year strong. 

In 20 appearances with the Astros after the trade, the 28-year-old posted a 3.86 ERA/2.88 FIP with 26 strikeouts and just one home run allowed across 21 innings.

On the season as a whole, Ferguson finished with a 4.64 ERA but a more-encouraging 3.74 FIP. The left-hander set a career-high with 67 strikeouts in 54.1 innings between the two teams. 

In his big-league career, Ferguson has gone 19-13 with a 3.68 ERA and six saves across 263 appearances. In 261.2 innings, he’s allowed 241 hits, walked 107 and struck out 314. He spent the first five years of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers after making his debut in 2018. 

Ferguson’s 3.37 ERA since the start of the 2022 season is 13th-best among left-handed relievers with at least 140 innings pitched. He also ranks 13th during that same time with a 46.9% groundball rate. 

Ferguson joins Bailey Falter and Joey Wentz as one of just three left-handed pitchers on the Pirates’ current 40-man roster, addressing a major need this offseason for Pittsburgh.

Last year, the Pirates finished 27th in bullpen ERA (4.49), ahead of only the Chicago White Sox (4.73), Toronto Blue Jays (4.82) and Colorado Rockies (5.41).

Ferguson is the second free agent the Pirates have signed to a guaranteed MLB contract this offseason. Andrew McCutchen re-signed for another season for $5 million.