3 Roster Call-Ups I'd Make If I Were Yankees GM in September

The biggest move the New York Yankees made at the deadline was acquiring Luis Garcia Jr. So far, that move has paid off, but they failed to address two things: adding bullpen depth and another catcher. These are still two pressing matters, and there are a few options they can look to at Triple-A that can help them out.

While none is a top prospect and all are probably reclamation projects at this point, they still potentially improve the roster, even if only incrementally. At some point, these are three moves the Yankees should make if they plan on making a run, just to see what they have in them.

One last shot for a former Rookie of the Year: Luis Gil

One glaring thing about Luis Gil during his first stint with the Yankees this year was that his velocity was way down. He was able to skirt disaster for the most part until a start against the Houston Astros, where he allowed six earned runs, which exiled him to Triple-A.

Since then, Gil has dealt with injury, but in his return, there has been an uptick in velocity. According to Prospect Savant, Gil is averaging 95.3 MPH on his fastball. It's a slight upgrade over his 94.9 MPH, but in one start, he dialed it up to the high 90s. If there's a chance that Gil can find success in the bullpen, the Yankees should see if he can contribute to the big league roster and potentially be a postseason addition.

New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil (81) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A veteran catcher: Mitch Garver

Mitch Garver isn't tearing the cover off of the ball at Triple-A. He has five hits in 34 plate appearances with just one extra base hit. Calling him up is less about him being a better option over Austin Wells — who is having one of the worst years by an everyday player — and more about whether he can be a better fit at backup catcher than Ali Sanchez.

The Yankees have made it clear what they think of Sanchez. The last time he got in a game was against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 21st. He had two plate appearances. It wouldn't hurt to just put the veteran Garver in his place.

A reclamation project: Eli Morgan

Eli Morgan was one of the better relievers for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024, and he has been progressively worse every year since then, to the point that the Kansas City Royals designated him for assignment.

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Eli Morgan (49) pitches against the New York Yankees in the fifth inning during game four of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Morgan has made two appearances for the Yankees Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, and has pitched pretty well. He pitched two innings in each one and struck out two in both as well. In neither instance did he allow a run.

Morgan is probably the weakest candidate to be called up out of the other two, but if they can tinker with him a bit, he has a shot at being a solid addition. It wouldn't be the first time the Yankees turned a project into a solution.

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