Luis Gil, the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year, could be a trade target for an AL West team this offseason, even though his 2026 season was a wild ride of inconsistency and injury. The Yankees have a ton of starting pitching depth, and it sounds like they’re ready to make some moves.
The Yankees’ Pitching Problem: Too Many Good Arms
Honestly, the Yankees are stacked with arms. We’re talking Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, Elmer Rodriguez, and Gil himself. That’s a rotation most teams would kill for, and it means someone’s the odd man out. Gil was sent down to Triple-A back in April, and he only made nine Major League appearances all year in 2026, with five of those coming out of the bullpen. That’s a steep drop for a guy who just two years prior was Rookie of the Year. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller put it out there: the Yankees might look to trade Gil this offseason. They simply don’t need him right now, and his future in the organization is murkier than ever because of those injury and consistency issues.
Why the Texas Rangers Are Eyeing a Struggling Arm
So, why would an AL West team, specifically the Texas Rangers, even consider a guy who’s had such a tough year? It boils down to desperation for pitching, plain and simple. Miller laid it out: “Both Nathan Eovaldi and MacKenzie Gore will be free agents next winter, while the Rangers will need to decide whether exercising a a $20M club option for what will be Jacob deGrom’s age-40 season is a good idea.” Yikes. Talk about tough decisions.
He went on to say that “Even ignoring that 2028 dilemma, though, they could really use another arm for 2027, as they don’t have a single returning pitcher (even including that big three) who made at least six starts with a sub-4.20 ERA in 2026.” That’s a brutal stat. They need help, and they need it bad. Even with Gil’s struggles , he walked a whopping 18 batters in just 27.1 innings in 2026, showing some serious command issues , his trade value has to be low. That might make him an attractive, albeit risky, pickup for a team like the Rangers who are just trying to piece together a rotation for next season.
This offseason is going to be wild for a lot of teams, and seeing where Gil lands could tell us a lot about the pitching market. Keep an eye on those trade rumors as teams gear up for 2027.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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