Yankees re-sign veteran reliever that they cut last fall
The first afternoon of Yankees camp in Tampa was a busy news day for the two relievers the club acquired at the 2022 trade deadline, a pair of right-handers working back from Tommy John surgery.
While Scott Effross was placed on the 60-day injured list, sidelined until this summer after back surgery, the Yankees re-signed Lou Trivino.
Trivino was spotted at the complex early on Wednesday morning by Greg Joyce of the New York Post, a sign that the right-hander could be returning for the 2024 season. The reliever had been non-tendered by the Yankees back in November.
When Aaron Boone was asked about Trivino during his first presser of spring training, the manager admitted that the Yankees were “considering” a reunion, but that he wasn’t under contract. Boone kept all other details to himself at the time.
Less than an hour later, Andy Martino of SNY reported that the Yankees did in fact have an agreement with Trivino.
The right-hander’s timeline is unknown as he underwent Tommy John surgery last May, but there’s a chance he can have an impact late in the season if he doesn’t encounter any hiccups in his rehab. Acquired from the Athletics in the infamous Frankie Montas trade, Trivino had a 1.66 ERA over 25 outings to finish the 2022 season before sitting out all of last year.
Losing Effross is a blow for the Yankees as he was seemingly on track to be ready for a return to the bullpen this spring. Effross was more than 12 months removed from elbow surgery when he injured his back in December. The sidearm reliever has resumed his throwing program, but it’ll be a slow journey back to a big-league mound as he builds up from both injuries.
