The New York Yankees have traded catcher Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds for RHP Fernando Cruz and C Alex Jackson according to Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post. While the Yankees were known to have catcher depth after adding Jesus Rodriguez and JC Escarra to the 40-man roster, it wasn’t a sure thing that they’d trade out of their stud duo of catchers in Jose Trevino or Austin Wells, but with just one year left on his deal, Brian Cashman sent Trevino out in a deal to bolster the bullpen and grab a lesser catcher.
Fernando Cruz and Alex Jackson head to the Bronx in this deal, with Cruz being the key piece in this trade as the Yankees have added one of the best swing-and-miss relievers in the game to their bullpen.
Jose Trevino Heads to the Reds, Yankees Add High-Upside Reliever
The Yankees were just 12th in the league in strikeout rate last season as a bullpen, and they’ve aimed to fix that issue this winter. Devin Williams is now joined by Fernando Cruz, as the Yankees have added two of the best swing-and-miss arms in the sport in less than a month. Among qualified relievers since 2022, Cruz is sixth in strikeout rate (34.8%), and while his 4.67 ERA comes with concern, there’s plenty of upside in his arsenal.
His splitter is one of the best pitches in the entire sport, generating a whiff rate of over 59% this past season while batters hit just .116 against it. It also has the best Stuff+ among all splitters thrown last season (162), making it a truly gross pitch that can mow through any lineup when located well. His problem has been with the fastball, as batters have crushed both his four-seam fastball and his cutter.
If the Yankees can improve his four-seamer or cutter, Cruz has a chance to be one of the best relievers in the American League next year. With four years of club control as well, the Yankees won’t be paying him much this year and can slot him into their plans for the near future. Alex Jackson also came over in this deal, but his lack of any offensive upside does bring into question his role on the roster for the 2025 season.
Jose Trevino heads to the Reds in this deal, and while his bat wasn’t dominant, the veteran catcher had a strong tenure with the Yankees as he was consistently one of the best defensive catchers in the sport. He won a Platinum Glove in his first year with the organization in 2022, and is second in Fielding Run Value among catchers since being acquired by the Yankees (+36).
He’ll improve a grim catching room in Cincinnati, as they add a veteran catcher who can work with a young emerging pitching staff at a low financial cost. He could be an extension candidate as well, as Trevino’s salary has not been settled in arbitration yet and he currently has just one more year of club control left. The Yankees could look at JC Escarra, a standout veteran from the 2024 season, to fill-in Trevino’s shoes at catcher if needed.