The Cubs are acquiring righty reliever Ryan Zeferjahn from the Angels, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The Halos are getting catcher Moises Ballesteros and right-hander Mason McGwire in return, reports Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.
The 28-year-old Zeferjahn is having a steady season out of the Angels’ bullpen. In 51 2/3 innings, he has a 3.66 ERA, as well as a 33.5% strikeout rate that ranks in the 97th percentile in the majors, according to Statcast. ERA estimators are even more favorable to Zeferjahn, with xERA (2.93) and SIERA (3.37) putting him around half a run better than the 3.66 figure. Both his high-90s four-seamer (+2 Run Value) and his sweeper (+8) grade out as above average pitches and have helped Zeferjahn take a step forward in his third big league season.
Solid as those numbers are, Zeferjahn has been even better in the last two months. Dating back to June 1st, he’s fired off 26 innings with a 1.38 ERA and a staggering 41.9% strikeout rate. He’s still giving up his share of walks, running a 13.3% walk rate even during that dominant stretch. Nonetheless, Zeferjahn’s penchant for strikeouts and improvements with run prevention made him a valuable target for teams seeking relief help.
More to come.