The New York Yankees could not bring back a key relief pitcher, as Fansided’s Robert Murray reported on Thursday that free agent reliever Lou Trivino is signing a minor-league deal with the San Francisco Giants. The deal also includes an invite to Spring Training.
Former Yankee Lou Trivino signs with the Giants
Trivino was traded to the Yankees in 2022 as part of the Frankie Montas deal with the then-Oakland Athletics. Trivino was one of New York’s top relief pitchers that season, as he posted a 1.66 ERA and struck out 22 batters in 21.2 innings.
However, since then he has not pitched in a major league game as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery he underwent in 2023. This offseason, his team option with the Yankees was declined, making him a free agent.
San Francisco now gets themselves a high-leverage arm who can also close games. He has 37 career saves, including 22 with the Athletics in the 2021 season. Trivino boasts an arsenal that includes a high-powered sinker and cutter combination along with a sweeping slider.
The Yankees did a solid job replacing Trivino this winter
Hitters are batting just .205 against his cutter lifetime and under .200 on all of his off-speed pitches. Despite him being 33-years-old and coming off of a major elbow injury, Trivino could be a steady arm for San Francisco at a cheap cost.
The Yankees have retooled their bullpen this winter in favor of bringing in more strikeout stuff. They acquired Devin Williams and Fernando Cruz in two separate trades and re-signed Tim Hill to a one-year deal. While only getting half a season of Trivino is very unfortunate, New York has done their due diligence to make sure the bullpen is in good shape heading into 2025.