3 Yankees Blake Snell Backup Plans That Are Already In the Organization

Add another tally in the loss column for acquiring a pitcher for the New York Yankees. Bolstering the rotation has not gone the way fans would have hoped for.

After missing out on Yoshibobu Yamamoto, in free agency, they waited to see what Blake Snell would do. While they waited, they expressed interest in trading for Dylan Cease and Corbin Burnes, but of course, Brian Cashman wouldn’t want to part with number two prospect Spencer Jones. They had to watch Cease get traded to San Diego and Burnes to Baltimore. Now they get to watch Blake Snell sign with the San Francisco Giants for two years and 62 million dollars. To add insult to injury, Gerrit Cole will be out for up to two months. 

Although there are a few options left in the free agent market that the Yankees can target, there is a chance that the pitchers would be asking for a great amount, which the Yankees would not want to honor. Filling the rotation wouldn't be a problem if they didn't trade the reliable pitchers to the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto deal. So now they have to watch Michael King, Johnny Brito, and Randy Vazquez get a chance to shine in the West. What will the Yankees do to support their depleted rotation? 

The beauty of Spring Training is to allow teams to see what other players might be helpful down the stretch in case of injuries. After missing out on a trade and signing a free agent, is it possible the Yankees can call a pitcher up until Cole is ready to come back?

Here are three pitchers who should be considered if the Yankees don't make a trade or sign a pitcher:

1. Luis Gil

Dominic Republic native Luis Gil had a minor sample size in the majors in 2021 and 2022 before having Tommy John Surgery. He would also miss the whole 2023 season due to recovering from the injury.

He was ranked as a top-10 prospect in the Yankees organization in both 2021 and 2022 however. Before the Tommy John Surgery, Gil pitched in seven games (33.1 innings). He recorded one win and one loss with an overall ERA of 3.78. In his sole pitching appearance in 2022, he collected a 9.00 ERA and gave up four runs. After being optioned, discomfort in his arm lead to season-ending surgery.

Two years later, spring is telling a different story for Gil. In his four appearances (two starts), Gil pitched 11.2 innings striking out a team-high 18. He showed major improvement from the last time he pitched in 2022.

Returning from Tommy Johnny is always a concern, due to not knowing how different the player would perform after a massive surgery. Luis Gil has returned nicely, and his fastball still hits about 95 miles per hour. There is a chance that Aaron Boone and staff will take it slow with him due to the injury, but with how he has been performing in Spring, can he pitch without a limit?