Yankees insider floats laughable internal bullpen solution who can't be trusted

By now, you've heard that the New York Yankees didn't add any relievers at the trade deadline. You might still be stunned by this. We certainly are. Admittedly, Paul Blackburn has been way better than expected. Angel Chivilli was a pleasant surprise until he got punched in the mouth by the St. Louis Cardinals and subsequently shipped off to Scranton. But are these the horses you really want to ride into October?

Despite the inaction, they may not be. Yankees insider Joel Sherman went on MLB Network and name-dropped some possible solutions from within the organization. Mind you, listing off possible alternatives doesn't mean he endorsed them. He's just giving us the lay of the land.

Some names weren't all that surprising. Clarke Schmidt was thought of as a possible option once healthy, but a guy recovering from Tommy John surgery experiencing forearm cramps is not ideal. There are other avenues, though.

Carlos Rodón is on the comeback trail, and his return to the rotation will create a surplus that bumps Will Warren or Ryan Weathers to the bullpen. So far, everything seems logical, if less-than-ideal, since there's no guarantee that any of these starters will successfully adapt to a bullpen role.

Here's where things get weird, though. Sherman also said he thinks the club might look to Luis Gil as a potential solution. Remember him?

The season is officially over if the Yankees are forced to turn to Luis Gil as an MLB bullpen option

In case you forgot, Gil made four starts for the Yankees early on in the season, and three of them were absolute misery. He threw 19 1/3 innings, allowed 2.79 HR/9, walked more batters than he struck out, and posted a 6.05 ERA. That ERA actually is low given what his peripherals tell us.

Gil was no better in Scranton, posting a 5.79 ERA in just one start. He went on the IL with shoulder inflammation. He has been working his way back and began facing live hitters in late July, but there's not much information out there as to when we can expect him back at full strength.

The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year has talent, but the question is whether or not he's irreparably broken at this point after struggling so dramatically. Injuries have piled up on Gil, and it's hard to know what to expect from the 28-year-old moving forward.

Folks have speculated in the past that Gil could thrive in a bullpen role, but that assessment might be based on old data. The 2024 version of the right-hander was a whiff machine, posting a 29% swing-and-miss rate and a 26.8% strikeout rate, while allowing too many walks with a 12.1% free pass rate.

Conventional wisdom is to take a high-strikeout hurler who struggles with command and throw him in the bullpen to instantly create a high-leverage menace. However, in 2025 Gil's whiff rate dropped to 21.5%, and his K-rate plummeted to 16.8%. In 2026, the fall continued, as he posted an 18.5% whiff mark and struck out batters at an abysmal 10.6%. The normal small sample caveat applies to this year's performance, but it's still worth noting.

One other reason to be terrified of Gil pitching in anything other than a mop-up role is how incredibly poor his fastball was in his early-season action. Typically, the heater is the bread and butter for relievers, with the exception of side-winding slider artists. Gil's fastball, in just 19 1/3 innings, was worth a -4 run value.

Gil might not end up getting the call. Health might play a role, and he'll need to prove himself. The real grim reality of the situation, though, is that an injury or other unfortunate circumstance will force the Yankees to search for bullpen answers, and very few exist.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow