Yankees: 3 forgotten Brian Cashman trades that put NYY in current position

1. Jake Cave for Luis Gil (2018)

More fans have certainly been exposed to this trade given Luis Gil’s success in recent weeks, but it’s still not as well known as it should be! Many simply thought Gil was an international free agent signing since he started his career with the Bombers in the low levels of the minor leagues.

But that was because he was scooped up early in his career in a trade that sent outfielder Jake Cave to the Minnesota Twins. A stroke of genius for Cashman! The Yankees made this deal back in 2018 (the same year they traded for Voit) after having an already stacked cast of outfielders. This was trading from an area of strength, as Cave was a solid minor leaguer with some MLB potential.

He’s been a part-time outfielder with a little bit of pop for the Twins while Gil has skyrocketed through the ranks of the Yankees farm system before making his historic MLB debut with the team. The right-hander became the first pitcher in MLB history to toss scoreless outings in his first three appearances and he’s helped the Yankees on their torrid 17-4 run that has them back in the Wild Card picture and only a handful of games out of first place.

The results already show this one’s a winner for the Bombers because we have four years and 257 games of evidence on Cave. The sky’s the limit for Gil assuming he can harness his control and continue to come through when he’s called upon. Whether he’s starting or relieving, he looks to be a valuable piece on this pitching staff for years to come.

… or maybe Cashman will leverage him in another notable trade and this list will continue to grow.

Yankees: 3 underrated pitchers NYY should trade for after 2021

The New York Yankees are always and forever going to need pitchers, and they should be eyeing these three in trade rumors after 2021.