The New York Yankees are gaining confidence in the reliability of right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli as the trade deadline approaches, with the young pitcher emerging as a key bullpen option in recent weeks.

Chivilli, 23, has impressed manager Aaron Boone and the Yankees' front office as they evaluate their relief pitching ahead of the August 3 deadline. Although Boone had limited choices on Wednesday night in a tightly contested game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he opted to bring in Chivilli for the sixth inning rather than rely on a struggling Camilo Doval. Chivilli retired the side in order and returned for the seventh inning, delivering two scoreless frames despite pitching three times in four days.

Since returning to the majors on July 5 after dealing with shoulder discomfort that sidelined him for much of April and May, Chivilli has shown marked improvement. Over the last two and a half weeks, he has pitched nine innings across seven games, allowing one unearned run while striking out nine and conceding only three hits and one walk. His recent performance has lowered his earned run average (ERA) significantly, from 7.06 across 43 games last year to 0.79 over nine appearances this season.

Chivilli was acquired by the Yankees in a January trade with the Colorado Rockies in exchange for first baseman TJ Rumfield. While Rumfield has thrived offensively in Colorado, maintaining an .858 OPS, the Yankees will withhold judgment on the trade until they have sustained evidence of Chivilli’s potential. The right-hander’s development has centered on adjusting his pitching mix, dialing back a previously dominant four-seam fastball—thrown nearly 46% of the time last year—to about 20% this season. This change has coincided with an increase in the effectiveness of his slider and a standout changeup, which Boone praised for its ability to neutralize hitters of both hands.

“It’s been mixing everything,” Chivilli said through interpreter Marlon Abreu. Boone echoed those sentiments, noting the changeup’s success, highlighting that hitters have managed only a 2-for-24 mark against it this year.

The Yankees’ bullpen currently ranks second in Major League Baseball with a 3.06 ERA entering Thursday’s off day. While the club might still pursue high-end relievers at the deadline, several arms—including David Bednar, Brent Headrick, Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, and Paul Blackburn—are considered solid contributors with playoff experience. Others like Will Warren and Ryan Weathers could also be converted to relief roles if the starting rotation remains healthy.

Boone acknowledged the team’s strong relief corps has somewhat lessened the urgency of acquiring an elite reliever, shifting more focus to other positional needs such as catcher, right-handed outfielders, and potentially shortstop. Chivilli’s emergence adds depth and flexibility to a bullpen that had been viewed as an area of considerable need.

“He seized the opportunity,” Boone said of Chivilli’s progress, noting the pitcher’s resilience in returning from injury and rapidly earning the team’s trust. The Yankees appear poised to continue monitoring Chivilli’s development as they weigh their options in the weeks ahead.