THE YANKEES MADE A BIG DECISION ABOUT LUIS GIL!

Another disappointing outing for Luis Gil yesterday. It's really unfortunate, because I really wanted to see him thrive and transform and find a way out of this long slump he's been in since 2024. His last start wasn't it. Gil gave up six hits in four plus innings with a lot of hard contact. It left the Yankees with no choice....

After the series ending loss to the Astros yesterday, the Yankees have optioned Gil back down to Triple-A. He was already on a short leash, but he showed us more of the same and just forced the Yankees hand. It's been a tough road for Gil since his rookie season. He hasn't been a MLB viable starter for more than a full season now. I hope they can get him back to that viable starter again but it is going to take a lot of hard work and the faster they get him back down in the minors and working on it, the better off they will be.

After Gil was sent down, the Yankees quickly made a corresponding move by calling Jasson Dominguez back up (again). This could have more to do with Giancarlo Stanton and an incoming trip to the Injured List for his calf. The Yankees are going to need another person in the outfield, and quite honestly I would like to see Aaron Judge get a partial day off by giving him a day as designated hitter against the Texas Rangers. Something else to think about though....if the Yankees want to avoid the platoon situation again and allow him the consistent at bats they need to let him play against lefties and righties. They cannot platoon him again. He needs to play everyday like he was in Triple A to allow him to get better.

So I am concerned the Yankees are going to screw that up, because let's face it they don't learn from a lot of their mistakes. But that still leaves the question of IF the Yankees are going to add another pitcher. Rolling with 12 pitchers is very risky. The Yankees don't need to add another starter right now thanks to their schedule. Honestly, they can get by until middle of May without a fifth starter but they should add another bullpen arm for some depth. Gil was going to be sent down when Carlos Rodon returns here in a couple of weeks, but unfortunately his poor performance sped up the timeline and now the Yankees need to prepare for the next best option.

So here it comes, last week I said I was focused on Elmer Rodriguez and now he could have an opportunity.... maybe. This is no way a guarantee, it fact it could be a long shot but his sinker, changeup or slider arsenal could be much more effective than Gil's changeup and flat fastball that everyone and their brother was making contact with. It's not a bad idea to give our third ranked prospect a trail run here. It feels like a smart option to give the kid the next three or four weeks to see where he is at. If we don't, it could be a missed opportunity. We need to be playing our best options and right now he could be it!

Something isn't right with Gil. The move needed to happen. Now Gil and the Yankees need to figure it out and put us in a better position in the future....with or without Gil.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj