New York, January 29, 2026 – The New York Yankees, in a surprising move, acquired right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli from the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday in exchange for minor-league first baseman T.J. Rumfield.While the Yankees have been relatively quite this offseason, this particular acquisition raises eyebrows given Chivilli’s recent performance, having posted a 7.06 ERA last season.
Chivilli, 23, has appeared in 38 major league games, compiling a career 6.58 ERA. On the surface, the trade appears unbalanced. A random minor-league arm might have offered similar value. so, why the trade?
- Teams are increasingly valuing a pitcher’s underlying traits over traditional ERA statistics.
- Chivilli possesses inherent qualities-velocity adn spin rate-that suggest potential for improvement.
- The Yankees have the organizational versatility to develop Chivilli, thanks to his remaining minor league option years.
A closer look at Chivilli’s game reveals why the Yankees might believe he can outperform his career numbers. The modern evaluation of pitchers has shifted, and the Yankees appear to be betting on untapped potential.
Innate Traits: Beyond the ERA
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Earlier this winter, the seattle Mariners traded catcher Harry Ford to the Washington Nationals for reliever Jose A. Ferrer. This deal highlighted a growing trend in baseball: teams are prioritizing a pitcher’s raw abilities and underlying metrics over simply looking at earned run average. The Mariners clearly believed ferrer’s arsenal and characteristics indicated future success,despite a seemingly average 4.48 ERA.
Chivilli isn’t Ferrer, but there are notable similarities. both pitchers possess high velocity, averaging over 97 mph on their fastballs, and comparable spin rates.Their arm angles and release points are also nearly identical. The key differences lie in Ferrer’s handedness, his reliance on a sinker, and a changeup with sinking action-elements the Yankees might attempt to cultivate in chivilli. While these differences explain why ferrer commanded a more valuable return, they don’t negate the fact that teams are now valuing a pitcher’s foundational skills.
Low-Hanging Fruit: Optimizing the Pitch Mix
There’s clear room for improvement in Chivilli’s approach, even without altering his current arsenal. A important factor is his departure from coors Field, notoriously hitter-pleasant. However,his pitch selection also presents an possibility for optimization.
Last year, Chivilli threw his fastball 46% of the time, despite it being his least effective pitch in terms of generating swings and misses. Conversely, his changeup and slider both boasted whiff rates exceeding 40%. Yet, he threw sliders less than 20% of the time, despite data indicating it was his most effective weapon.
Simply throwing the pitch with the highest whiff rate isn’t always the answer, but it’s easy to envision the Yankees guiding Chivilli down a path similar to that of Fernando Cruz, who dramatically increased his splitter usage upon joining the team.
Options: Bullpen Flexibility
A frequently overlooked aspect of roster construction is a player’s remaining minor league options. These options allow teams to move players between the majors and minors without exposing them to waivers, providing valuable depth and flexibility, particularly in the bullpen.
Chivilli retains another option year,which is crucial for the Yankees. They are projected to have limited optionable pitchers in their bullpen-Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz, and Jake Bird. Doval and Cruz are unlikely to be sent down unless issues arise, and the Yankees are hoping for a better performance from Bird this season. the Yankees needed optionable depth, and Chivilli provides that.
It’s plausible that Chivilli begins the season in the minors, serving as insurance against injury or underperformance while working on adjustments away from the spotlight. However, an opportunity will likely arise for him to contribute at the major league level-and he just might surprise.
