Yankees Add Lou Trivino to Bullpen: Salary, Incentives & Full Contract Breakdown

The news is out about the New York Yankees. They have made yet another move to bolster their bullpen – re-signing the right-handed reliever Lou Trivino. He comes with a one-year deal and a $5 million club option for next year, 2025. This signing comes with multiple intricacies in the contract.

While the initial reports primarily focused on the overall signing, digging deeper uncovered many interesting facts. The contract structure, potential incentives, and its impacts on the roster are some things to deep dive into. NY Post’s Joel Sherman helps break down the numbers.

Breaking down the numbers of Lou Trivino’s contract

Let’s look at the base salary here. Trivino is set to earn a base salary of $1.25 million this year (2024). This is significantly lower than his projected arbitration salary, which was around $4.1 million. The reduction here stems from his missed 2023 season because of his Tommy John surgery. This shifts one’s focus on the club option.

Well, the 2025 club option is valued at $5 million. This offers Trivino the potential for a two-year deal with a value of $6.25 million total. Not to mention, the contract comes with performance incentives as well. These performance-based incentives will be tied to games pitched and the figures are interesting. In 2024, he would be incentivized with $100,000 each for reaching 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 games pitched. The following year, in 2025, the sum would go up to $150,000 for completing 25 games and $250,000 for completing 30 games.

There’s also an aspect of escalating base, i.e. if Trivino reaches a certain threshold of games pitched in 2024, his 2025 base salary could see a spike. Here’s how that would look. 15 games would bring him $5.2 million, 20 games – $5.4 million, 25 games – $5.6 million and 30 games – $5.8 million. If he reaches the 35-game mark, he’d receive $6.0 million. It’s key to look at the contract implications next.

The contractual implications of the Lou Trivino – New York Yankees Deal

This is a typical low-risk, high-reward scenario. The deal offers the Yanks a low-cost option for a relatively high-impact reliever. Yes, it’s a risk, but if the 32-year-old returns healthy and can deliver well, he’d get a notable raise in 2025 though. Thanks to his incentive structure and higher base salary. The way they’ve approached the club option, it seems as if the Yankees envision Trivino as a long-term piece if he does well. Having him onboard has even enabled the Yanks to move Jasson Dominguez to a 60-day IL while keeping him on the 40-man roster.

Read More: Jasson Dominguez Injury Opens Door For Yankees To Sign Seasoned 32-Year-Old Arm

Trivino’s career is adorned with a 3.86 ERA, 24.5% strikeout rate, and solid ground ball tendencies. He has been strikingly effective in his stint with the Yankees in 2022, posting a 1.66 aERA in 25 appearances. For the upcoming season, the Yankees’ bullpen remains a work in progress. However, with Trivino signing with them, there’s added depth and potential firepower. Let’s not forget, the bullpen also has arms like Aroldis Chapman and Clay Holmes. This would be an interesting one!

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