The Yankees are making some strategic roster moves, opting to send right-hander Luis Gil down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. With four off days in the first dozen days of the 2026 season, they can afford to skip the fifth starter spot a couple of times.
This gives Gil the chance to maintain his routine in the minors and be ready to step up when the Yankees need a fifth starter or if there's an injury in the rotation. In the meantime, this move opens up a bullpen spot, which will be filled by Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest.
Gil, now 27, was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2024, but last season was a challenge due to a lat strain that limited him to just 57 innings. Even though he posted a respectable 3.32 ERA during those innings, his velocity and strikeout rates were not at his 2024 peak.
Back then, he struck out 26.8% of batters with a 12.1% walk rate. Last year, those numbers dipped to 16.8% strikeouts and a 13.5% walk rate.
This is Gil’s last minor league option year. If he’s recalled within the first 20 days of the season, the option won’t technically count.
He’s under team control through 2028, but to delay his free agency, he needs to spend fewer than 99 days on the major league roster this year. In spring training, Gil pitched in six games, covering 19 1/3 innings with a 4.66 ERA.
His strikeout and walk rates were impressive at 29.6% and 6.2%, respectively, but he struggled with command, giving up six homers.
Cade Winquest, on the other hand, is set to make his big league debut after a spring where he allowed eight earned runs on 13 hits and four walks, striking out eight in 10 innings. His fastball sits in the 94-96 mph range, topping out at 98 mph.
Originally drafted by the Cardinals in 2022, Winquest has mainly been a starter in the minors, giving the Yankees a long relief option. If he remains on the roster all season, he’ll become optionable, adding valuable depth to the Yankees' pitching staff.
The Yankees haven’t been known for picking Rule 5 players, with the last successful spring training pick being Brad Meyers in 2011, although he was sidelined by injury. The last to actually play was first baseman Josh Phelps back in 2007.
This move with Winquest marks a shift, as the Yankees, typically a win-now team with a hefty payroll, haven’t often embraced the roster restrictions that come with Rule 5 selections. It’s a strategy more commonly seen with rebuilding or smaller-market teams, but it could provide the Yankees with some intriguing options moving forward.