Yankees claim lefty Matt Gage off waivers from Astros

NEW YORK On Monday, the New York Yankees claimed left-hander Matt Gage off waivers from the Houston Astros. The 30-year-old finished 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA in 34 games at Triple-A Sugar Land the previous season and had a 2.70 ERA in five big league bullpen appearances. In 16 big league bullpen appearances over the course of two seasons, including time spent with Toronto in 2022, he is 0-1 with a 1.83 ERA.

Gage was designated for assignment on Jan. 22 when Houston needed a roster spot to finalize its $95 million, five-year contract with All-Star closer Josh Hader.

New York designated infielder/outfielder Diego Castillo for assignment. Castillo was claimed off waivers Jan. 19 from the Mets, who had claimed him from Arizona on Jan. 5.

The Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins swung a five-player trade Monday, with second baseman Jorge Polanco going to Seattle for outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez, reliever Justin Topa, starter Anthony DeSclafani and minor league pitcher Darren Bowen.

The Mariners are also giving the Twins cash considerations. Both teams announced the deal Monday night.

Polanco, a 30-year-old switch hitter, joins a Mariners team that has spent the winter seeking bats to complement its elite starting pitching. An All-Star in 2019, Polanco has been a consistently well-above-league-average hitter in his 10-year big league career, slashing .269/.334/.446, and is likely to slot into the middle of a Mariners order that includes Julio Rodriguez, J.P. Crawford, Cal Raleigh, Ty France and a pair of offseason additions, Mitch Garver and Mitch Haniger.

Polanco’s contract has a $12 million club option for 2025, and the Twins exercised a $10.5 million option on him this winter.

Minnesota, which won the American League Central last season, has devoted a large portion of its summer to reducing salary. Sonny Gray, who was voted second in the AL Cy Young voting, left the Twins via free agency to join St. Louis. Along with reliever Emilio Pagan, starters Kenta Maeda and Tyler Mahle also departed in free agency. Josh Staumont, a reliever, was signed by Minnesota for $950,000 as their last major league trade before the deal.

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