In March 2018, the Minnesota Twins acquired outfielder Jake Cave from the New York Yankees for starting pitching prospect Luis Gil. Cave was a solid fourth outfielder who frequently started when Byron Buxton was injured early in his career with Minnesota, slashing .262/.329/.466 with 21 homers and 70 RBI in 537 plate appearances as a decent defender from 2018 to 2019. However, his career took a nosedive after 2019, as he failed to post an OPS above .700 each season from 2020 to 2022 amid multiple Triple-A stints. The Twins cut him loose after the 2022 season, and he finished his MLB career with the Philadelphia Phillies (2023) and the Colorado Rockies (2024).
Meanwhile, Gil broke out as one of the Yankees' best starting pitchers in 2024, posting 2.9 bWAR and a 3.50 ERA with 171 strikeouts in 151 2/3 innings across 29 starts en route to winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award, making New York the clear winners of the Cave trade. However, after being sidelined for most of the 2025 season with a right lat strain, Gil has been demoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following a rough start to the 2026 season, making the deal seem not as bad for Minnesota as it once did.
Yankees option ex-Twins prospect Luis Gil after rough start vs. Astros
In four starts with the Yankees this season, Gil, 27, surrendered 13 earned runs on 15 hits and 11 walks across 19 1/3 innings. He allowed six of those runs against the Houston Astros on Sunday, leading to his demotion to Triple-A after the game.
Gil is still relatively young and could bounce back. And if he were on a team with lower expectations, he likely wouldn't have been demoted to Triple-A. He also had good results in his limited MLB action last year, posting a 3.32 ERA in 57 innings across 11 starts. Still, it appears he may not be the star pitcher we all thought he'd be after 2024. He struck out just 41 batters in 57 innings last year and has just nine strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings this season.
Even when Gil is at his best, he struggles to limit walks. In 2024, he allowed an MLB-leading 77 free passes. Overall, he has surrendered 142 walks in 261 1/3 career MLB innings.
Gil very well could turn things around fast. He's just 27 years old and has proved he can be among the league's top starting pitchers when he's pitching to the best of his abilities. However, his rough start to the season, declining strikeout rate and lack of control suggest that 2024 may be the best season he'll ever have.
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