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Cleveland Guardians check in on former Yankees and Athletics reliever

Multiple teams were in attendance for Lou Trivino's bullpen session

ByJames Mastrucci|
Championship Series - Houston Astros v New York Yankees - Game Three
Championship Series - Houston Astros v New York Yankees - Game Three | Elsa/GettyImages

Everyone knows there is no such thing as having too much pitching, and it is no surprise to see the Cleveland Guardians being one of several teams checking on a possible bullpen addition.

Former Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees reliever Lou Trivino threw a bullpen session down in Florida, and plenty of teams were interested. Teams that either are contenders or are looking to take the next step toward becoming a contender next season were apparently impressed with what Trivino had to offer, most notably his sinker getting up to 94 miles per hour.

Trivino missed all of the 2023 season due to an elbow strain, which eventually required Tommy John surgery. New York initially would non-tender Trivino after the season but would end up re-signing him ahead of 2024. Trivino would only make 11 appearances last season, six for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders and five for the Somerset Patriots, finishing with a 4.91 ERA, 1.455 WHIP, and 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings across 11 innings of work. Trivino's small sample size following Tommy John made this bullpen session an absolute necessity if he is going to find a spot on a major league roster for the upcoming season.

It was not that long ago that Trivino was one of the most underappreciated relief arms in the game. A big reason for that would be part of an Oakland As team that perpetually flies under the radar, at least for reasons that would qualify as positive, that is. Trivino's best stretch in Oakland was during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, compiling a 3.34 ERA, 1.216 WHIP, and 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings. The Yankees would acquire Trivino in 2022, and he would go on to pitch at an elite level, with a 1.66 ERA and 1.292 WHIP in 25 appearances down the stretch.

Pitchers fitting Trivino's description are typically those the Guardians like to take chances on, as they usually come at a lower cost in an attempt to get their careers back on the right track. Do not be surprised if the Guardians are in contention for signing Trivino and make a serious push to acquire his services before everything is all said and done.

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