While pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and the Atlanta Braves made it work in 2026, the starting rotation remains a concern heading into the offseason. As awesome as Chris Sale is, he is getting older, and the other four spots in the Braves' rotation are as unsettled as they have been in years. While Atlanta's offseason strategy, in part, will be determined by how well they think some injured arms are healing, everyone agrees the team should probably add a couple starters during the offseason.
The market for free-agent starters is better than many other positions this offseason, but that doesn't mean the selection is actually robust or diverse. The odds are low that the Braves will be real contenders in the bidding for Tarik Skubal this time, and there will be a lot of competition for the services of potential free agents like Freddy Peralta, Michael King, Clay Holmes, and/or Sonny Gray. Given the shallow pool of arms and likely inflated price tags, it may be wise for Atlanta to try utilizing the trade market to fill their needs.
One name already floating out there in the offseason trade rumor mill is Yankees pitcher and former Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, who seems to be very available at the moment. While Gil may be worth taking a low-cost flyer on, the Braves should absolutely not rely on him as an actual solution.
Braves should only entertain Luis Gil as a trade target if he is nothing more than a cheap lottery ticket
You would think the Yankees would love keeping Gil around as a guy who posted nearly 3 WAR and won Rookie of the Year in 2024. He throws reasonably hard and still has plenty of team control. However, a closer look shows why New York seems to be giving up on him, as well as why the Braves shouldn't get their hopes up.
Yes, it is true Gil's fastball averages the mid-90s, and his extension is still quite good, but that is where the good news from his pitching metrics ends. Not only has Gil given up way too much hard contact the last couple of seasons, but his walk rate and chase rate have both been near the bottom of the scale. If you can't throw strikes, can't get hitters to swing at pitches out of the zone, and get hit hard, that is a recipe for disaster.
Gil also missed significant time last year with a shoulder injury. It is relatively easy to explain away most other injuries (especially if they are isolated issues), but shoulder injuries are a different story for pitchers. Injuries like "shoulder inflammation" often are a precursor to more severe issues, and that Gil's production dropped off is extra spooky when you factor in his injury issues.
Now, if the Yankees end up non-tendering Gil and the Braves throw a minor league deal or a really cheap MLB deal his way, that is fine. It certainly isn’t impossible for Gil to figure things out as either a starter or in the bullpen, and those types of deals don’t contain any real risk for the Braves. However, if Atlanta gets impatient and gives up a real prospect in a trade with New York before the non-tender deadline, that may be a mistake.
Add us as a preferred source on Google