The New York Yankees bolstered their bullpen by acquiring strikeout reliever Fernando Cruz from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for catcher Jose Trevino on Friday.
Cruz, 34, had an impressive season with the Reds, striking out 109 batters in 66 2/3 innings with a 4.86 ERA in 69 appearances. His strikeout total ranked fourth among MLB relievers. In his three seasons with Cincinnati, Cruz averaged 13.9 strikeouts per nine innings with a 4.52 ERA in 141 appearances.
This move comes after the Yankees recently traded for Devin Williams, adding another impact arm to their relief corps. Williams recorded 14 saves in 22 appearances last season, with 38 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings after recovering from a stress fracture in his back.
As part of the trade, the Yankees also acquired catcher Alex Jackson, who could potentially fill Trevino’s role as a backup. Jackson, 28, signed with the Reds as a free agent in November and previously played for the Tampa Bay Rays, batting .122 with a .439 OPS in 155 plate appearances.
Trevino, 31, spent three seasons with the Yankees, earning an All-Star and Gold Glove in 2022. He had a solid season, batting .248 with a .671 OPS, 12 doubles, 11 home runs, and 43 RBI in 353 plate appearances. Over his seven-year MLB career, Trevino has maintained a .239 average and .637 OPS while throwing out 23% of attempted base-stealers.
The Reds were specifically looking for a veteran catcher like Trevino to mentor their young pitching staff, including starter Tyler Stephenson, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.