The Yankees may have a tough sell on Luis Gil this offseason, but the most interesting way out of the mess could be a swap that brings back a catcher.
Gil is out of options, which puts New York in a pretty blunt spot: trade him now, or risk losing him on the non-tender line unless the club still sees a future role for him in 2027. For a pitcher who won the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year and was once prized enough to stay out of Kyle Tucker trade talks with Houston, that’s quite a slide.
His market has clearly taken a hit. If the Yankees move him, the return may not be flashy - probably something closer to a lottery-ticket prospect than a clear headline piece.
But there is another route: find a team with a player who is stuck, valuable enough to fit a need, and ready for a change of scenery. Luis Campusano of the Padres fits that description better than most.
A Gil-Campusano deal would give both clubs something they need. San Diego’s rotation situation is messy. Michael King is likely to opt out and chase a long-term payday, Nick Pivetta presents a difficult call, and Joe Musgrove hasn’t thrown three innings over the last two and a half years and did not pitch in either the 2025 or 2026 seasons because of complications during Tommy John recovery.
At catcher, though, the Padres have options. Ethan Salas, the 20-year-old phenom, came up in September, looked good, and earned a postseason roster spot.
AJ Preller won’t say he’s locked into the job, but the path for him to take over is there. Freddy Fermin gives San Diego a defense-first backup and a steady presence behind the plate.
That leaves Campusano, a talented but frustrating piece whose career has been defined by injuries and uneven production, much like Gil’s.
Campusano has never played more than 91 games in a season. His high mark came in 2024, when he batted .227/.281/.361. In 2025, he went hitless in 10 games and then spent the rest of the year at Triple-A El Paso.
This season looked more encouraging. He appeared in 71 games, missed time with a fractured toe, and still posted a .265/.363/.433 line with eight homers.
He has consistently hit in the minors, and there’s a real case that this version says more about him than the .240/.294/.372 career line he brought into 2026. Still, the Padres may not be fully sold after he tailed off in September, hitting just .215/.292/.369.
They also have to decide whether Gil offers more value to them than keeping Campusano around without options.
For the Yankees, the fit is obvious enough. Joel Sherman reported that New York is looking for a right-handed-hitting complement to Austin Wells, not necessarily a full replacement, and Campusano was mentioned as a possible target.
The Padres and Yankees have already matched up on deals before, and Preller has shown a willingness to take Yankees arms. San Diego acquired Michael King, Randy Vasquez came out of the Yankees system, and J.P.
Sears eventually came in indirectly through the Athletics.
Gil could make sense for San Diego as a fifth-starter option and a bullpen arm. From New York’s side, Campusano looks like the kind of intriguing gamble that’s hard to beat: a player who may be trending up while Gil is clearly slipping down the roster picture and into the category of players the Yankees can no longer comfortably keep.
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