The New York Yankees’ relentless pursuit of bullpen stability has often seen them circle back to familiar faces, sometimes to the bewilderment of their fanbase. Each offseason brings with it a flurry of speculation, hope, and, occasionally, frustration as the front office weighs the risks and rewards of reuniting with former players. This winter was no different, with the Yankees considering a handful of ex-relievers in their quest to shore up late-inning relief.

While some moves sparked cautious optimism, others left supporters scratching their heads—especially given recent history with certain arms. The decision-making process is always under the microscope in the Bronx, where expectations run high and patience is in short supply. Every signing, or even rumored interest, is dissected for its potential impact on a team with championship aspirations.

As the 2025 season unfolds, the wisdom of those choices is coming into sharper focus. Some gambles have paid off, while others have quickly unraveled, serving as reminders of how precarious bullpen construction can be in today’s game. One recent roster move out west has offered a timely example of why the Yankees opted to steer clear of a particular reunion—much to the relief of many fans.

Former Yankees trade disappointment gets DFA’d by Giants after bad start to 2025

And to think they tried to sign him again!

Milwaukee Brewers v San Francisco Giants Milwaukee Brewers v San Francisco Giants | Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages

This past offseason, as the New York Yankees were trying to patch up their bullpen, they revisited bringing back a number of former players. Jonathan Loaisiga and Tim Hill were re-signed. And, for some reason, they also considered Lou Trivino.

At that point, fans felt as if giving $5 million to Loaisiga was an excessive risk that didn’t warrant another signing that wasn’t a “sure thing.” That’s why the interest in Trivino was borderline maddening. He had just rehabbed more than a year on the Yankees’ dime and ended up not pitching at all in 2023 or 2024. He was paid $5.6 million despite not appearing in a single inning.

Thankfully, the Yankees didn’t invest more in the right-hander for a third go-round, because he was just designated for assignment by the San Francisco Giants after posting a dismal 5.84 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 6.98 FIP with four home runs allowed in 12 1/3 innings of relief work.

The Giants signed Trivino to a minor-league contract in the offseason, so it’s likely they won’t be on the hook for much money here. But the real sacrifice is the time lost as well as the -0.2 WAR Trivino subtracted from SF.

Had he done that work with the Yankees, we really don’t know how much worse off they’d be, especially after all the Devin Williams issues.

Former Yankee Lou Trivino designated for assignment by SF Giants

Trivino gave up 11 hits and five walks in his 11 appearances with the Giants, which includes a homer off the bat of Yankees slugger Ben Rice back on April 12 in what was an 8-4 win for New York. He, by far, would’ve been the worst reliever in the Yankees’ bullpen.

We wouldn’t say all hope is lost for Trivino, but it’s not looking good at the moment. It’s been a tough road for him and it’d be great to see him bounce back, it was just that the Yankees couldn’t be that team taking the chance. The Frankie Montas trade was painful enough, and the fact Trivino was supposed to be, at the very least, a consolation prize to keep the pitching staff afloat — but couldn’t even do that — made it even worse.

Trivino isn’t too far from where it all began. He was drafted by the Athletics in 2013 and remained in the organization until he was traded in 2022. Maybe his former team eyes the possibility of the reunion, you never know.

The A’s can do something funny as they gear up to face the Yanks for a three-game set from Friday-Sunday.