Everybody loves the big-name acquisition, but sometimes, the small, unheralded move that pays dividends can be a real difference maker for a ballclub. On February 6, 2016, the Yankees made one such move, signing minor league free agent Jonathan Loáisiga after he was cut by the San Francisco Giants, as they sought to add pitching depth to the farm system during a transitory period in the organization’s history. The man who would come to be known as “Johnny Lasagna” would go on to fill a critical role
in the Yankees’ bullpen during the 2021 season, before injuries ultimately robbed him derailed his Yankees career.
Jonathan Stanley Loáisiga Estrada
Born: November 2, 1994 (Managua, Nicaragua)
Yankees Tenure: 2018-2025
Born and raised in Nicaragua, Loáisiga signed as an international amateur free agent with the San Francisco Giants on September 23, 2012. He made his professional debut the following season, going on to make 13 appearances with the DSL Giants. Although his performance was encouraging — he had just a 2.75 ERA and 1.107 WHIP in that span — his Giants career was effectively over after that; injuries robbed him of the entire 2014 and 2015 seasons, and as a result, the Giants cut him loose.
As noted above, Loáisiga signed with the Yankees that winter, and was assigned to Single-A Charleston (the Yankees cut ties with them during the 2020-2021 restructuring, and they are now a member of the Rays family). Immediately, the injury woes followed the young right-hander: just 2.1 innings into his first start he tore his UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery. Unlike the Giants, though, the Yankees were willing to be patient, and added him to the 40-man roster in 2017 in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft (something they did not do with Garrett Whitlock a few years later).
When he returned to the mound with the GCL Yankees that summer, Loáisiga rewarded that faith. He flew through the farm system, and by the middle of the 2018 season, when the Yankees needed a spot starter in June, they recalled him straight from Double-A Trenton — bypassing the entire Scranton RailRiders roster.
Making his MLB debut at Yankee Stadium against the Tampa Bay Rays, Loáisiga rose to the challenge, striking out six in five scoreless innings to earn his first major league win. He would make three more starts before being sent down to make his Scranton debut, posting an even 3.00 ERA and allowing just one home run in that span. Arm troubles in the minors, however, prevented him from being an option for the big league roster in July and August, and when he returned as part of September call-ups — this time in a relief role — he struggled to the tune of a 10.80 ERA.
The next three seasons followed the pattern set in Loáisiga’s rookie campaign: flash potential as a starter, miss time with arm injuries, and struggle to gain any real consistency as a swingman. Then, 2021 happened. Finally deciding that Loáisiga’s body could not handle a starter’s workload, the team officially began to develop him as a full-time reliever, and he more than delivered. Taking over Chad Green’s old role as team fireman, he was one of the most reliable bullpen arms not just on the Yankees, but in all of baseball: his 2.4 fWAR ranked behind only Liam Hendriks and Josh Hader, and his 2.18 xERA second to Hendriks among relievers with enough balls in play to qualify for the Statcast leaderboards.
Unfortunately, that campaign would turn out to be the highlight of Lasagna’s Yankees career. He was absolutely terrible to start the 2022 season, with an ERA upwards of seven across the season’s first two months, and he battled shoulder injuries during that time as well. For his part, though, he rebounded well, with a 1.76 ERA after July 17th, and he allowed just one earned run in the postseason. Bone spurs in his elbow limited him to just 17 appearances in 2023, however, all but three of which came after the trade deadline (i.e., after we had already discounted it as a lost season). A right flexor strain and a torn UCL then ended his 2024 before it could begin, and although the Yankees did bring him back for 2025, he struggled with consistency and injuries once again. To nobody’s surprise, the team opted to decline his team option for 2026, making him a free agent.
Loáisiga signed a minor league deal last January with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and to his credit, he made the most of it. Not only did he make the team out of spring training, he put together his best season since 2021, posting a 2.42 ERA and a 1.030 WHIP, recording the lowest strikeout rate of his career but surrendering just three homers all year long. Loáisiga stayed healthy with a personal-best 67 appearances for the Wild Card contender.
Now a free agent once again, he represents an intriguing, if risky, option for teams looking to bolster the middle part of their bullpen; for his sake, hopefully he is able to parlay his bounceback into a nice contract for himself. It may not be in New York, but we wish Loáisiga the best and a happy 32nd birthday to boot!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
