The Yankees may have stumbled into one more bullpen option, and it comes from a name that was never supposed to be part of this conversation in the first place.
Luis Gil, the former Rookie of the Year who was knocked out of the rotation and then spent most of the season on the shelf with injury, made his first relief appearance for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday night. That outing, in a year where so many Yankees plans have been derailed, at least gave the club something worth watching.
Gil worked two innings, threw 37 pitches, struck out two, walked two and allowed no hits. He also gave up one hard-hit ball, but it ended as an out - a 96.8 MPH groundout that went just 21 feet. The other three balls put in play were all under 95 MPH.
The real eye-catcher was the fastball. Gil averaged 94.9 MPH during his brief big-league stint this season, and he’s been sitting around 95 in Triple-A.
Coming out of the bullpen, though, he bumped that number to 96.1 MPH on average, and his heater touched 97.6 MPH. He got five swings and misses with it, too.
That’s why the Yankees have reason to at least think hard about a bullpen trial. Brian Cashman didn’t make an addition at the deadline, and the club is still searching for arms. Gil, who was already built up earlier in the year, could fit as a multi-inning reliever if the team wants to see whether the stuff plays up in a shorter burst.
There’s also a straightforward opening. Ryan Yarbrough has held that multi-inning role, but it hasn’t exactly been airtight.
Since the start of July, Aaron Boone’s designated multi-inning reliever has allowed a run in four of his eight appearances. Two of those runs were earned, while the other six came on inherited runners scoring.
At minimum, Gil could step into that kind of job. At best, he gives the Yankees a live arm that can get big league outs and maybe earn more meaningful innings down the stretch, especially if that fastball continues to tick upward.
The Yankees badly needed quality innings at the deadline. Now they may have one in-house.
In Other News...
Jasson Dominguez Is Giving The Yankees A Tougher Outfield Decision
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Domnguez has not exactly made the decision easier in the minors, either. Over 10 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, his offense has stayed quiet, leaving the Yankees with a player whose long-term upside is still part of the conversation but whose immediate path back to the lineup feels less certain than it did not long ago. [Read more 🡒]
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The infield alignment, though, is getting a little shakier at third base. Jose Caballero is slated to start there because Ryan McMahon is dealing with a thumb injury, adding another layer to a spot the Yankees would prefer to keep settled. Cody Bellingers rehab assignment in the minors offers a bit of encouraging injury news after his strained left hamstring, but for now the immediate concern is how New York patches together the left side of the infield while trying to finish off Baltimore. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Just Made A Telling Bet On Their Next Wave
The Yankees are already looking years down the road in the international market, and their latest reported move underscores how aggressively they want to stay in that lane. The club has reportedly lined up a verbal agreement with a teenage Dominican outfielder who is drawing attention for his speed, power and production at the plate, a sign the organization is willing to commit meaningful resources now for a player it cannot officially sign yet.
What makes the bet especially notable is the size of the commitment, which would take up a significant portion of the teams recent international signing pool. For a Yankees front office balancing the present with the future, it is another reminder that the next wave of talent may not arrive through the usual routes alone, especially with possible changes to MLBs international signing rules looming later on. [Read more 🡒]