Yankees Trade Trevino to Reds in 3-Player Deal

The Yankees shook up their catching situation Friday, sending Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds in a three-player swap that brings reliever Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson to the Bronx.

Trevino, 32, was a fan favorite in New York known more for his glove than his bat. He hit just .215 last season while backing up Austin Wells, but his real value came behind the plate.

He’s one of baseball’s best at the little things catchers do – blocking wild pitches and making borderline pitches look like strikes. Those skills earned him a Gold Glove in 2022.

In Cincinnati, he’ll serve as the backup to Tyler Stephenson. He’s under team control through 2025.

The real interesting piece coming back to New York is Cruz. The 34-year-old reliever’s basic stats don’t jump off the page – a 4.52 ERA in three seasons. But there’s more to the story.

Cruz has been absolutely dominant at striking guys out, with a pretty incredible 228 Ks in just 147 1/3 innings. His secret weapon? A nasty splitter that big league hitters just can’t figure out.

He threw that splitter about 40% of the time last year, and the Yankees – who have a knack for turning good relievers into great ones – might have him use it even more.

The Yankees also got Jackson in the deal. The soon-to-be 29-year-old catcher (his birthday’s on Christmas) hasn’t shown much with the bat in his brief big league career, hitting well below average in parts of five seasons.

This move suggests the Yankees are all-in on Wells as their primary catcher for 2024, with Jackson likely serving as organizational depth.