Could High-Powered Yankees Really Make This Unpopular Move in Their Rotation?

The New York Yankees have a big decision to make in their starting rotation in the coming months. Could they make the unpopular move?

Jun 9, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil (81) reacts during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports | Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees have looked like a force this season, leading Major League Baseball with a 48-21 record through the first 69 games of the 2024 campaign.

Surprisingly, they have dominated without having their reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole, who is nearing a return from an elbow injury that has kept him sidelined since Spring Training.

One big reason the Yankees have been so good is due in part to the emergence of rookie right-handed starting pitcher Luis Gil. The 26-year-old has been electric in his first 13 starts, posting an 8-1 record, 2.04 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 90 strikeouts in 75 innings pitched. At this point, he appears to be a sure thing to capture the AL Rookie of the Year Award and will get a serious bid for the AL Cy Young Award. He is also a candidate to start the All-Star Game in July for the AL.

But Gil is coming off Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in May of 2022, knocking him out for the remainder of the year and all of 2023. Due to a lack of innings pitched over the past two seasons, the Yankees must play it safe with their prized young arm.

As a result, Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake told Fair Territory on Tuesday that the team is not ruling out either a “timeout” on innings or a move to the bullpen for the hard throwing Gil.

“Is it in the bullpen? Is it a timeout at some point? I don’t know if we have those answers but taking as many steps going forward and getting as much information as possible is our best bet,” Blake said on Fair Territory.

“Obviously, Luis Gil, first and foremost, hasn’t had the track record of innings over the last few years so we have to be really mindful of his workload as we go,” Blake said.

While this initially seems like a move the Yankees cannot make, Cole’s return is on the horizon, which will give the team more flexibility to play it safe with Gil, who figures to factor into the club’s rotation in the long-term.

The Yankees could also use another hard thrower in their bullpen, which is likely what GM Brian Cashman will be looking for at the trade deadline next month. But if the Yankees move Gil to the ‘pen down the stretch of the season it would provide a major boost to the unit.

At the moment, the Yankees can likely afford to wait until righty Clarke Schmidt (lat injury) (shut down for 4-6 weeks in late May) comes back from the IL in the next few months before making a decision on Gil.