Lou Trivino’s $5 million club option was not picked up on Sunday by the New York Yankees, making the right-handed pitcher a free agent after missing his second consecutive big league season due to an elbow injury that needed Tommy John surgery.
New York had already picked up its $2.5 million option on reliever Luke Weaver and decided against the $17 million option for first baseman Anthony Rizzo.
The Yankees must make a decision by 5 p.m. EST on Monday about adding a $36 million salary for ace Gerrit Cole for 2029, which would cancel his opt-out option.
Trivino was traded from Oakland on August 1, 2023, along with right-hander Frankie Montas, in exchange for left-handers J.P. Sears and Ken Waldichuk, right-hander Luis Medina, and infielder Cooper Bowman.
He had a 1.66 ERA in 25 relief appearances for the Yankees and four more in the postseason. After one spring training appearance on March 2, he went on the injured list with a strained right elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery on May 3 with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the head physician for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After becoming a free agent last fall, Trivino signed a $1.5 million deal with the Yankees in February that included the team option.
He made his minor league season debut on August 14 and recorded a 4.91 ERA in 11 appearances for Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, striking out 11 and walking six in 11 innings. His four-seam fastball averaged 94.2 mph at Triple-A.
