The New York Yankees traded minor-league first baseman T.J. Rumfield to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday for right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli. The 23-year-old Chivilli enters New York with a 6.18 career ERA over two seasons, but his underlying skills suggest room for significant improvement. This acquisition bolsters the Yankees' bullpen depth amid limited offseason moves.
The trade, completed earlier this week, marks one of the few external additions for the Yankees this winter. Chivilli appeared in 73 games for the Rockies across the past two seasons, posting a 6.18 ERA and an 78 ERA+, alongside a 2.15 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In 2025 alone, he recorded a 7.06 ERA, with Baseball-Reference estimating him at roughly one win below replacement level—a performance deemed worse than a randomly selected minor-league reliever might achieve.
Despite these surface-level struggles, several factors position Chivilli for potential success in New York. First, his innate pitching traits stand out: he averages over 97 mph on his fastball, with strong spin rates, and employs an arm angle and release point similar to Seattle Mariners reliever Jose A. Ferrer, who was acquired in a prospect swap earlier this winter. While Ferrer benefits from being left-handed and featuring a sinker and changeup, Chivilli's raw tools indicate he is not a finished product.
Second, Chivilli gains an immediate boost by leaving Coors Field, baseball's most hitter-friendly park. His pitch mix also offers optimization opportunities; in 2025, he threw his fastball 46% of the time despite it generating the lowest swing-and-miss rate among his pitches. His changeup and slider both exceeded 40% whiff rates, yet the slider—his top-rated offering per pitch-quality models—was used less than 20% of the time. The Yankees could encourage greater reliance on the slider, akin to how Fernando Cruz increased his splitter usage to over 60% after joining the team.
Finally, Chivilli retains one minor-league option year, providing flexibility for the Yankees' bullpen. Currently, only Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz, and Jake Bird are projected as optionable relievers, limiting managerial maneuverability. Chivilli could start in the minors, refining tweaks away from major-league scrutiny, before earning a call-up to contribute in 2026.
