Don't Wait For Gerrit Cole to Demote Luis Gil
- E.J. Fagan
- Apr 17
- 2 min read
by EJ Fagan
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NOTE: The following comes from EJ Fagan's substack page and is shared with permission. This was published a few days ago so the stats don't include the last few games.
Please check out EJ's substack page for more great articles.
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Luis Gil has been terrible. He was terrible in Spring Training, bad enough that Aaron Boone called him out in public for not being shape. He was bad last year, either due to the injury or because he was holding back from the injury. Gil is no longer the same pitcher that won the AL ROY in 2024.
Just look at this Statcast line:
Yikes. Luis Gil could get by with poor control because his stuff was so good. Compare this page to his 2024 line:
2024 Luis Gil was had some of the game’s best stuff and as a consequence was great at both striking guys out and getting weak contact. 2025-2026 Luis Gil has worse stuff and is thus getting hit around.
I get trying Gil before other options. He’s got some service time and won a major award. You could hope and dream that his stuff would return. But it didn’t. He’s not a good pitcher right now. The Yankees have alternatives. It makes no sense to keep running a losing pitcher out even if you expect Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon to take the spot soon.
As far as I can tell, there are two to three options to replace Gil. The first two are Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough. Neither are completely stretched out, but could probably give you more length than Gil in a pinch. I’d prefer either over Gil, or even a piggybacked rotation at first.
But the real option is Elmer Rodriguez. The top prospect has an ERA in the 1.00s through his first three Triple-A starts, although the FIP is a tick higher.
By virtue of being at Triple-A, we also have some Statcast data on Rodriguez. He throws a six pitch mix:
He’s walked 2 batters in each of his starts, pitching no more than 5 2/3 innings on an 80 pitch count. The overall number are good but not great:
That’s not a beautiful page for a guy you want to come up and dominate. I suspect that the Yankees would want to see him get a lot more swing and miss before a callup. Rodriguez missed a little time with a personal issue after Spring Training, so he might be behind.
So I think the best option is to start one of Yarbrough or Blackburn for Gil until Cole and Rodon return. They aren’t exciting fill ins, but are more reliable than Gil. And they can slot back into the bullpen when the rotation fills up.
Gil can go down to Triple-A. If I were the Yankees, I would convert him to relief pitching. Starting isn’t working.
the Yankees did get one good / very good year from Gil, but like they often do, they held on to an asset too long. his greatest value last year would have been as a trade piece. at this point, his value is going down and it will keep going down until he proves he can be more consistent
Jones and Gil should have been the main 2 pieces last July going to the As for Mason Miller
what is that? do not trade top prospects for relievers?
last year in the playoffs Miller faced 8 batters. how many Ks did he have? EIGHT
this year his ERA is... what? i cannot see it because it is too small. E…
I'm reminded of a pitcher back in the 90s who had great stuff but was a lousy starter. They flipped him to the pen and everything seemed to click. I think his name was Mo something.
Yarbrough was successful last year as a starter. He is far less successful as a reliever. I'd like to see him and Gil swap roles for now.
Gil has not been good
and does not now merit a slot in the rotation
but he's what they now have to offer
neither Blackburn nor Yarbrough offer much more in the short term
and certainly offer less of a chance for a quick upturn in the next month.
the team is sorta stuck unless the organization is able to quickly consummate a deal (with Detroit and Boras) for Skubal
and probably will have to stick with Gil till Cole comes marching in
Unless you calling up Cruz or Castro, I would not demote Gil, just put him in the pen, demote Chivilli, and recall Elmer Rodriguez. Let's give him 3 or 4 starts up here. I know he's not a finished product yet, but this way they get a free look at what he needs to work on; and who knows, maybe catch lightning in a bottle?