Yankees Exercise Club Option on Lefty Reliever

Yankees Exercise Option on Tim Hill, Decline Jonathan Loáisiga’s Option

Lefty Killer

Hill, 35, had a solid first full season with New York this past year. Tossing 67 innings, he notched a 3.09 ERA and a WHIP of 1.104, striking out 37 batters and walking 16. Hill was a useful weapon for the Yankees against left-handed batters, and his situational availability was a key asset in the bullpen for manager Aaron Boone. Lefties slashed .181/.224/.220 against him, with righties hitting .282/.328/.508. With not many other left-handed relievers for the Yankees to choose from, Hill should once again be a reliable arm out of the ‘pen next season.

Too Many Injuries

Loáisiga, on the other hand, has continued to go through long stints on the injured list, pitching just 29 2/3 innings to an ERA of 4.25 this past season. But it wasn’t just the flexor strain that he suffered in August of this season: it’s the fact that he has only 50 2/3 innings pitched over the past three seasons, including 2025. His inconsistency and injury history do not make him an ideal candidate for next year’s roster, especially since the Yankees’ club option would have been for $5 million.

At 31 years old, Loáisiga’s career is certainly not over, but his constant injuries and inability to stay healthy for long stretches will be concerning for a lot of teams. Simply being able to log a good amount of innings is a key part of being a reliable reliever, so the Yankees should be looking to find a replacement(s) for the arms that they’ll likely lose this offseason, especially more left-handers to use situationally alongside Hill.