NEW YORK – Maybe Angel Chivilli is the Yankees’ next diamond-in-the-rough relief pitching find.
On Wednesday, the right-handed Chivilli was acquired by the Yankees in a trade with Colorado, sending minor league first baseman T.J. Rumfield to the Rockies.
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Speaking via Zoom conference, GM Brian Cashman said the Yankees had been previously interested in Chivilli and recently renewed those discussions with Colorado’s new front office execs, led by Paul DePodesta.
Chivilli, 23, has “a power arm’’ and an exciting upside according to Cashman, along with the luxury of having one remaining minor league option.
“I think there’s a lot to work with there (and we) look forward to putting him in our pitching program and seeing where that takes him,’’ said Cashman. “We think we added a nice quality arm to what we think is an array of quality arms.’’
Yankees spring training begins in two weeks, and Chivilli could be competing for a job as a setup reliever, in the mix with fellow right-handers Jake Bird, Yerry de los Santos and newly acquired Dom Hamel.
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After closer David Bednar, the Yanks’ relief corps includes Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval, Cade Winquest (a Rule 5 Draft selection) and lefties Tim Hill and Brent Headrick, along with veterans Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough.
There’s always a chance Cashman add bullpen arms in the coming weeks, as the evaluation process never ceases.
“I do think we have a lot of quality choices, at the very least, that we can fall back on if we do nothing more” before Opening Day, Cashman said. “But the job…is to see if we can improve in any aspect of the roster that we can.”
Aug 31, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Angel Chivilli (57) delivers a pitch in the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Chivilli has posted a 6.18 ERA in 73 games with Colorado across the past two seasons. In 2025, he was 1-5 with one save and a 7.06 ERA and 13 home runs allowed in 43 games (58.2 innings).
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Armed with a four-seam fastball that averages 97-mph, a slider and changeup, Chivilli has 71 strikeouts and 33 walks in 90.1 big league innings with a 49.5 percent groundball rate.
T.J. Rumfield stats with Yankees
Rumfield, 25, a lefty-hitting first baseman, has been blocked in the Yankees’ minor league system.
Across 430 minor league games in the Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies organizations, Rumfield – a former 12thround draft pick (2021) by Philadelphia – has compiled a .796 OPS.
Last year at Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Rumfield batted .285 with an .825 OPS, 16 homers and 87 RBI in 138 games.
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To clear space for Chivilli on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designated lefty-hitting outfielder Michael Siani for assignment.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Who is Angel Chivilli? Yankees trade for Colorado Rockies relief pitcher