The New York Yankees made a significant trade Friday, sending catcher Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds for right-handed reliever Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson.
The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired RHP Fernando Cruz and C Alex Jackson from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for C Jose Trevino.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) December 21, 2024As noted by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who was among the first to report the trade, Trevino was set to become a free agent after the 2025 season. He had already lost innings to Austin Wells over the course of the 2024 season; by the time the Yankees reached the World Series, Wells was the established starter.
In Trevino, NYY lose pitch whisperer/big into prep work, but due to be FA after '25 and Wells now clearly No. 1 catcher. Cruz not yet arb eligible though 35 in March. Had 4.86 ERA in '24, but 36.1 K pct was 6th-among RP with 50IP. NYY saves few million to perhaps redirect https://t.co/JdTeJHwhfn
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 21, 2024Now, in exchange for a backup catcher, the Yankees receive a reliever in Cruz who had a 36.1 percent strikeout rate in 2024 — sixth among right-handed relievers with at least 50 innings in 2024.
Cruz, who turns 35 in March, is 4-11 with a 4.52 ERA in 141 games (seven starts) for the Reds from 2022-24. The Puerto Rico native was originally a sixth-round draft pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2007 and has also spent time in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Jackson, 28, played 124 games over parts of five major league seasons (2019-24) with the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, and Tampa Bay Rays, never appearing in more than 52 games in a single season. He's a career .132 hitter with six home runs and 24 RBIs and could slot into the backup role Trevino filled the last two seasons.
Trevino, 32, batted .215 with eight home runs and 28 RBIs in 73 games last season with the Yankees. In 2022, he made the American League All-Star team and won the only Gold Glove Award of his career after slashing .248/.283/.388 in 115 games for the Bronx Bombers.
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In 2023, Trevino saw his batting numbers fall across the board. He played only 55 games and slashed .210/.257/.312. In Cincinnati, he'll help absorb the workload of Tyler Stephenson, who led all National League catchers in games caught (127) in 2024.
Stephenson, 28, slashed .258/.338/.44 with 19 home runs and 66 RBIs.
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Perhaps the most intriguing player in the trade is Cruz, who threw a devastating split-finger fastball more often than any pitch in his arsenal last season. Batters hit .116 with no home runs against Cruz's splitter in 2024 after hitting .094 with one home run against the pitch in 2023.
Cruz also throws a 95-mph fastball as well as a cutter.
The trade is the second this week sending a player from the National League Central to The Bronx. The Yankees acquired first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Cody Poteet in a blockbuster deal Tuesday.
More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.
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