This New York Yankees pitcher is seeing his trade value fall fast.
A couple of years ago, Luis Gil was the toast of the Bronx. The New York Yankees pitcher won the AL Rookie of the Year award, and while there were some clear flaws in his game, the sky appeared to be the limit for Gil.
Fast forward to 2026, and things have changed rather rapidly.
Gil missed most of last season due to a lat injury that kept him out the first several months. Once he returned, he didn't look remotely like his prior form.
The right-hander's velocity dipped considerably, his strikeout rate plummeted and while his 3.32 ERA over 11 starts looked solid, his underlying metrics (4.63 FIP, 1.404 WHIP, 4.94 xERA) made it clear he was getting a bit lucky.
Things haven't changed a whole lot this spring.
Yes, Gil's velocity has seen an uptick, which is great. But over the course of five exhibition outings, the 27-year-old has surrendered six home runs, three of which came during the Yankees' 12-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday afternoon.
Gil surrendered seven runs on nine hits in three innings, registering just two strikeouts. His ERA for the spring is now 6.28, and his 1.60 WHIP is beyond alarming.
It's a small sample size, sure, but based on how Gil looked last year, you can't help but be concerned about the flamethrower.
During the Sunday broadcast, YES analyst and former Yankees pitcher David Cone said that Gil's strikes were "not quality pitches." So just because Gil hasn't been walking batters in Spring Training (four walks in 14.1 innings) doesn't necessarily mean his command has been good.
New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil. Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images.The biggest problem here is that Gil's trade value has absolutely torpedoed.
Remember: going into 2025, New York refused to include Gil in a trade for then-Houston Astros star Kyle Tucker. That was how highly the Yanks viewed him back then, and the fact that the Astros demanded him as a central piece of a Tucker deal indicates just how well regarded Gil was at the time.
That certainly isn't the case now given Gil's injury history, shaky control and apparently declining stuff.
Once Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon return, the Yankees are going to have to make a decision when it comes to their starting rotation.
Cole, Rodon, Max Fried and Cam Schlittler are all locks. Then, there is Gil, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers. At least one of those latter three will probably be dealt, but New York might not be able to fetch much for Gil.
There is still time for Gil to right the ship, but the regular season is less than two weeks away, and it feels like eons ago that the Dominican native looked like a strong arm.
Even during the second half of his breakout 2024 campaign, Gil labored, pitching to the tune of a 4.20 ERA across 10 starts.
If Gil doesn't fix himself soon, he could end up becoming a wasted asset for the Yankees.
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