With Gerrit Cole Coming Back, What Tough Decision Will Aaron Boone Make?

2. Which Pitcher Can Get Sent to the Minors?

Out of the five pitchers, there are two pitchers who still have options. The only dilemma is that both Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt are having a great start to the season. Gil is currently leading the team with 70 strikeouts. He also maintains six wins and only has one loss.

On the other hand, Clarke Schmidt has five wins while losing only two games. He struck out 61 batters. Clarke Schmidt improved from the previous season where he won nine games and lost nine. Last year, Schmidt had an ERA of 4.64. This year so far his ERA is 2.59, which is a big improvement. Clarke’s improvement this year gives him the opportunity to continue to pitch in the starting rotation. 

Luis Gil missed the 2023 season due to recovering from the Tommy John Surgery he underwent during the 2022 season. While the recovery was long, Gil was ready to prove that he belonged on the rotation. Cole’s injury led the way for Gil to demonstrate his potential. He has not disappointed.

Although he leads the team in strikeouts, Gil also leads the starters in ERA with 2.11. It would be a surprise to see Gil get optioned while he is the best pitcher right now. The only way the Dominican Republic native gets optioned is due to concerns about managing his pitching.

The best bet would be to option Nestor Cortes if he has options left, so he can work on some of his techniques.