SHOCKWAVES: Dodgers “Steal” Yankees’ Rising Pitching Star Yoendrys Gómez-Is LA Outmaneuvering New York Yet Again?

The baseball world is in uproar after the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off what many are calling the first major heist of the 2025 season: claiming 25-year-old right-handed pitcher Yoendrys Gómez off waivers from the New York Yankees236. The move comes as the Yankees scramble to patch up a battered pitching staff, and fans from both coasts are already battling it out online: Did the Dodgers just outsmart the Yankees at their own game?

Dodgers Pounce as Yankees Flinch

Gómez, once the Yankees’ No. 26 prospect, made his MLB debut in 2023 and has quietly posted a strong 3.09 ERA over parts of three seasons, despite limited innings and a shaky walk-to-strikeout ratio36. This year, he appeared in six games for New York, logging a 2.70 ERA across 10 innings but was designated for assignment amid the Yankees’ desperate search for stability.

Seizing the opportunity, the Dodgers snatched Gómez off waivers, immediately adding him to their 40-man roster. While he’s likely to start in Triple-A Oklahoma City, LA’s reputation for turning raw arms into bullpen gold has fans and analysts buzzing about Gómez’s untapped potential26.

Social Media Explodes: Genius Move or Overhyped Grab?

• Dodgers fans are celebrating, convinced their front office has once again fleeced a rival and unearthed a future bullpen weapon.

• Yankees loyalists are fuming, questioning why the team let go of a young arm with upside while their own rotation is in crisis.

• MLB insiders are split: Some see Gómez as a high-upside lottery ticket, others as a marginal reliever unlikely to make a real impact.

The Bigger Picture: Dodgers’ Pitching Depth vs. Yankees’ Desperation

The Dodgers’ move comes as they boast one of the deepest pitching staffs in baseball, with a six-man rotation featuring stars like Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow, and soon Shohei Ohtani4. Their ability to take calculated risks on arms like Gómez is a luxury the Yankees, currently reeling from injuries to Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil, simply don’t have4.

Is This the Start of a New Rivalry Chapter?

This latest “theft” is fueling a new wave of Dodgers-Yankees rivalry, with fans debating if LA’s front office is simply smarter-or if New York is just losing its edge. Will Gómez become another Dodgers reclamation success, or will the Yankees regret letting him go as their pitching woes mount?