The Yankees trade Jose Trevino to the Reds for reliever Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson

The Yankees trade Jose Trevino to the Reds for reliever Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson

The Cincinnati Reds have found their replacement for catcher Tyler Stephenson, trading for former Platinum Glove winner Jose Trevino from the New York Yankees, sending reliever Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson.

To save money, the Yankees sent Trevino, who is a free agent after the 2025 season. Trevino is scheduled to earn $3.6 million in arbitration, while Cruz and Jackson will each earn less than $1 million.

The Reds needed a backup catcher after declining their option on Luke Maile, the team’s backup the past two seasons. Trevino’s move to Cincinnati transfers this problem from the Reds to the Yankees. Trevino was supposed to be the replacement for Austin Wells. Trevino was a personal favorite of Gerrit Cole and the primary catcher of his Cy Young Award season in 2023. He is also one of the best defenders in the sport, especially when it comes to pitch framing. Wells praised Trevino for his mentorship in helping him become a finalist for the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2024.

The 2022 Platinum Glove winner will not only back up Stephenson, but could also free Stephenson up more to DH and perhaps even play first base. Stephenson pitched a career-best 1,001 innings last season and had the best defensive season of his career. However, Trevino is one of the best defenders in the game and represents a solid duo for the Reds.

“We all know how many catchers get hurt, so you want to have someone who, if something happens to one of those guys, can take over the majority of the starts for the other guy,” Krall said. “We haven’t had that in the past; We had guys who were more traditional backups.”

What the Yankees have now is Cruz’s split-finger fastball, one of the game’s most devastating throws. Cruz returns to the spot where he made perhaps the greatest pitch of his young career, prompting an inning-ending double play from Aaron Judge to preserve the Reds’ one-run lead and ultimately a 3-2 to achieve victory.

Cruz, 34, was drafted by the Royals in the sixth round of the 2007 draft as a shortstop out of Puerto Rico. His journey included two position changes, two organizations and 14 different leagues, including three different leagues in Mexico and five different countries.

In 2022, Cruz rejected offers in Mexico to play in the major leagues one last time and ultimately signed a minor league contract with the Reds. Cruz got a job at Triple A and was called up to the major leagues in September.

Through three seasons, Cruz is 4-11 with a 4.52 ERA and 228 strikeouts in 147 1/3 innings. Last season, his 37.8 percent strikeout rate was in the top 1 percentile of all of baseball, but his 12.2 percent walk rate was in the bottom 7 percentile.

Cruz is a beloved figure in the Reds clubhouse, not just among his teammates, but pretty much everyone who encounters him and his ever-present smile. Cruz has the irrepressible optimism of someone who waited 5,567 days from the day he was drafted to his debut.

“One of the best people I’ve ever seen in a clubhouse,” Krall said

His split-finger fastball is one of the best throws in the game and is described by his catchers as a “knuckleball.” Cruz simply calls it his “gift from God.”

Cruz threw it 41.9 percent of the time, so hitters knew it was coming, but still failed 59.3 percent of those throws.

Just as Trevino’s move created a void as the Yankees’ backup catcher, the Reds must replace a workhorse pitcher who appeared in a team-high 69 games, including three starts as an opener.

“You don’t want to take Fernando out of your bullpen, but we felt there was some tightness in the catching market and the relief market with more guys available to bolster your bullpen,” Krall said.

The Reds signed Jackson to a minor league contract in November. Jackson, who turns 29 on Christmas, is not a great hitter but is a well above average framer. Internally, JC Escarra is on the 40-man roster and the Yankees are confident in his potential.

(Photo by Jose Trevino: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

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