The New York Yankees have received some great news on a top trade candidate.
The 2025 MLB campaign was not exactly friendly to New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil. Gil missed the first few months of the season with a lat strain, and when he returned, it was clear he wasn't quite the same.
The right-hander's velocity dipped, he wasn't missing any bats and his control remained a prominent issue.
There was considerable concern about Gil heading into the offseason as a result, and with the Yankees having added Ryan Weathers via trade with the Miami Marlins, many — including myself — have had Gil tabbed as a top trade candidate.
Well, Gil made his first start of Spring Training on Sunday, hoping to put a tumultuous 2025 behind him. In 2.2 innings against the New York Mets, the 27-year-old did just that, striking out four batters on two hits without a single walk.
Yes, Gil did surrender a solo home run, but the real selling point was that he was hitting just under 97 mph on his fastball.
A couple of years ago, Gil was regularly touching 100 mph with his four-seamer. Last season, there were times where he was notching 94-95 mph, which obviously reduced his effectiveness. But now, his velocity appears to be returning.
Even though he wasn't lighting up the radar gun like he did in 2024, the fact that Gil is already dialing it up to around 97 mph is a very positive sign in February. And not issuing any free passes was also a big thing.
New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil. Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images.Gil averaged 5.2 walks per nine innings last season, posting a paltry 1.24 K/BB ratio. His 3.32 ERA notwithstanding, he didn't look good, and his 4.63 FIP and 4.94 xERA revealed concrete evidence that he was getting a bit lucky in his 11 starts.
There is no question that Gil's trade value took a hit in 2025 as a result of his performance. But if he can start to recapture the form that made him an AL Rookie of the Year winner the season prior, the Yankees will be in great shape.
That doesn't necessarily mean that New York has to jettison Gil, but it would give the Yanks a pretty nice midseason trade chip if they decided they wanted another frontline starter or potentially a big bat to help Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
Of course, it's only Spring Training, so I'm not sure how much we should actually read into Gil's outing, but there is no question that this is a positive sign for the Yankees.
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