by The New York Yankees added a strikeout reliever to their bullpen, acquiring Fernando Cruz from the Cincinnati Reds on Friday in exchange for catcher Jose Trevino.
Cruz, 34, struck out 109 batters in 66 2/3 innings with a 4.86 ERA in 69 appearances. His strikeout total ranked fourth among MLB relievers last season. Luke Weaver led Yankees relievers with 103 strikeouts in 2024.
In three seasons with Cincinnati, Cruz averaged 13.9 strikeouts per nine innings with a 4.52 ERA in 141 appearances.
With their trade for Devin Williams last week, the Yankees added two impact weapons to their relief corps. Williams recorded 14 saves with 38 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings in 22 games after missing the first three months of the season with a stress fracture in his back.
Trevino, 31, played in 73 games for the Yankees as a backup to Austin Wells. He batted .215 with a .642 OPS, eight home runs and 28 RBI. As ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported, the Reds were looking for a veteran catcher to work with their young pitching staff along with starter Tyler Stephenson.
The trade ends Trevino’s three-year tenure with the Yankees. He was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner in 2022, batting .248 with a .671 OPS, 12 doubles, 11 home runs and 43 RBI in 353 plate appearances (115 games). He also struck out 33% (15 of 45) of opposing baserunners, which is the highest in the league.
In seven MLB seasons (his first four with the Texas Rangers), Trevino has posted a .239 average and a .637 OPS while striking out 23% of attempted base stealers.
Also going to the Yankees is catcher Alex Jackson, who could take over Trevino’s backup role. Jackson, 28, signed a minor league contract with the Reds as a free agent in November. Last season he pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays. 122 with a .439 OPS in a career-high 155 plate appearances.
