News now: Huge boost for the Yankees as legendary reliever eyes a return.

When Lou Trivino went under the knife in May 2023, it seemed like the book might have closed on one of the more infamous transactions in recent Yankees history. Frankie Montas might be a Red at this point, but Trivino wasn’t ready to end his tenure in pinstripes.

On Wednesday morning with pitchers and catchers officially reporting, Greg Joyce of the New York Post spotted Trivino at the Yankees at their spring training complex in Tampa. He was non-tendered in November and available for anyone to add to their roster. However, Trivino was still unsigned as of mid-February, and while he is not under contract yet per manager Aaron Boone’s midday press conference, he is being considered.

The secondary piece acquired in the 2022 trade with the Athletics for Montas, Trivino spent the end of 2022 in the Bronx, including their playoff run to the ALCS. The former Oakland closer was set to be a piece of the ‘23 bullpen until he went down with an injury in camp. Attempts to rehab were unsuccessful as he failed to get healthy enough to even go on an assignment, and he required Tommy John surgery.

After the trade in 2022, Trivino put up solid numbers, recording a 1.66 ERA and a 3.34 FIP. Prior to the deal, he had been struggling in Oakland, and saw a dramatic improvement in New York, going from allowing 1.41 HR/9 with the A’s to just 0.42 with the Yankees. While some of that may be down to variance, he did alter his pitch selection a bit post-trade and seemed to produce better results.

Baseball Savant

Baseball Savant

The Yankees’ familiarity with Trivino has no doubt played a big role in his presence back in spring training. He had some success with New York, and as his most recent employer, they’re also more familiar with his medicals than any other team in the game. If pitching coach Matt Blake and company feel like there’s a solid chance for the 32-year-old to be a key contributor to the 2024 squad, then it would make sense in a low-risk move.

It’s unclear if Trivino’s elbow would allow him to be an immediate Opening Day roster contender at this point in his recovery. But as the right-hander himself can attest, injuries happen to bullpen staples all the time and the Yankees will need more depth. Indeed, Jonathan Loáisiga, Ian Hamilton, and Tommy Kahnle in particular have struggled to stay healthy in recent years, and Scott Effross is already out until summer. Once Trivino is ready, then at least some role should be available.