The New York Yankees’ offseason was highlighted by a blockbuster trade, acquiring slugger Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres in exchange for five players. As the 2024 season nears its midpoint, Soto has proven invaluable, batting .309 with 18 home runs and 56 RBIs.
However, on Friday, two less-publicized offseason acquisitions took center stage.
Four days after the Soto trade, the Yankees obtained left-handed reliever Victor González and second baseman Jorbit Vivas from the Dodgers in exchange for shortstop Trey Sweeney. Additionally, in February, the Dodgers traded another left-handed reliever, Caleb Ferguson, to the Yankees for two minor leaguers.
In April, the Yankees signed former Dodgers reliever Phil Bickford to a minor league contract. Although these moves weren’t as high-profile as acquiring an All-Star slugger, they created an interesting narrative.
This narrative continued with Friday’s transactions.
The Yankees designated González for assignment and called up Bickford from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, effectively swapping one ex-Dodgers reliever for another.
González, 28, had performed well, holding left-handed hitters to a .143 average and right-handed hitters to .170. Overall, he was 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 27 relief appearances.
Bickford, also 28, had been effective at Triple-A, posting a 2-2 record with a 2.93 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 27.2 innings, significantly reducing the walk issues that had troubled him in the 2023 season, which he spent with the Dodgers and Mets.
With this move, Ferguson and newly acquired veteran Tim Hill remain the only left-handers in the Yankees’ bullpen for their weekend series against the Atlanta Braves.
In addition to promoting Bickford, the Yankees also recalled right-handed pitcher Yoendrys Gomez from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Venezuelan right-hander had appeared in one game for the Yankees in each of the last two seasons without allowing a run. At Triple-A, Gomez had a 2-3 record with a 3.13 ERA in 12 starts over 46 innings.
While teams frequently rotate relief pitchers to keep their roster fresh, cutting ties with González, for whom the Yankees traded a legitimate prospect (Sweeney) only six months ago, is unusual.
The Yankees now have seven days to trade González or place him on outright or unconditional release waivers.