Bizarre Yankees trade proves fans could be undervaluing Luis Gil's asset status

It's easy to feel down about Luis Gil. The last time New York Yankees fans saw him, he was surrendering long balls to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alejandro Kirk in a 10-1 loss to open the ALDS matchup against the rival Toronto Blue Jays.

It wasn't that long ago that Gil took home the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year Award, but a lengthy lat injury delayed the start of his 2025 campaign until August 3. Once Gil took the mound, his already questionable command worsened, and it felt as if he was very lucky to finish the year with a 3.32 ERA versus his expected number of 4.97.

That led the media to begin speculating that maybe Gil isn't cut out for the rotation - or maybe for the Yankees as a whole. Once trade rumors involving Freddy Peralta began to grow, and it became clear that the Brewers want controllable starting pitching, fans were ready to drive Gil to the airport.

But then the Yankees swung a trade with the Miami Marlins for Ryan Weathers, and it should make us all start to question how little we all seem to value Gil.

The Ryan Weathers trade proves that Luis Gil is a more valuable asset than Yankees fans thought

To bring Weathers to the Bronx, New York parted with four prospects, including two potential risers in outfielders Brendan Jones and Dillon Lewis. Ranked No. 15 and 16 in the Yankees' system by MLB Pipeline, Jones has a skillset that is reminiscent of Brett Gardner, including Gardner's late-career power and early-career speed. Lewis is an absolute toolshed who could wind up being a true five-tool player once he matures. Throw in No. 23 Dylan Jasso and a lottery ticket in Juan Matheus, and you can see that Weathers fetched quite the haul.

On face value, the Yankees got fleeced. While there are reasons to believe Weathers can break out, we're talking about a 26-year-old lefty who hasn't broken 95 innings in any of the five seasons he's appeared in, and owns a 4.93 career ERA.

But that's been the story of the offseason. The Baltimore Orioles gave up a king's ransom for Shane Baz, who finally had a healthy season in 2025 and put up a 4.87 ERA. The Houston Astros gave up two of their top five prospects to acquire Mike Burrows, who has just 99.1 career big league innings under his belt. The Chicago Cubs traded their No. 1 overall prospect and presumptive Kyle Tucker replacement, Owen Caissie, plus more for Edward Cabrera, who also struggles at times with command and whose career high in innings pitched is a paltry 137.2.

There's an argument to be made that Gil is better than all of those arms. Seriously. He's more decorated, has more playoff experience, and owns a 3.50 career ERA. If guys with career ERAs in the mid-4s are netting multiple top prospects, why is Gil regarded as nothing more than a throw-in?

The fact of the matter is that the market has determined that controllable starters are the most valuable commodity in the sport. Therefore, any arm with potential and years of team control can be flipped for a treasure chest of assets, even if he has mediocre results.

Gil has three years of control remaining, and despite any legitimate gripe you can have regarding his performance, is just as valuable as Ryan Weathers, if not more.