Yankees, Reds Swap Jose Trevino For Fernando Cruz

The Yankees and Reds finalized a commerce Friday night time that despatched the catcher out Jose Trevino To Cincinnati for the Redeemer Fernando Cruz The catcher just isn’t included within the listing Alex Jackson.

Trevino is moved for the second time in his profession. The Yankees landed him from the Rangers shortly after Opening Day 2022 in a commerce that despatched the reliever Albert Abreu To Arlington. This was a win for New York’s entrance workplace, as Trevino developed into a top quality defensive participant within the Bronx. Abreu, then again, performed seven occasions with the Rangers earlier than they misplaced him to waivers.

The 2022 season was Trevino’s finest. He appeared in 115 video games, hitting .248/.283/.388 over 353 plate appearances. Trevino led all gamers with 21 defensive runs saved that season, incomes an All-Star choice and a Gold Glove.

Trevino has opened every of the previous two years as New York’s main catcher. His enjoying time and offensive manufacturing have declined, although he continues to obtain very excessive grades in his receiving abilities. Trevino has appeared in simply 129 video games over the previous two years. In 2023, that was largely the results of a torn ligament in his proper wrist that required season-ending surgical procedure in July.

The 32-year-old stayed wholesome final season. He missed a month between the All-Star break and mid-August with a quad pressure. Trevino was in any other case on the lively roster however fell right into a depth function. Rookie of the 12 months finalist Austin Wells He’s a superior offensive participant who’s rated as an elite receiving catcher in his personal proper.

Trevino was restricted to 62 begins behind the plate total. He was primarily a non-factor by the top of the yr, showing in simply 14 video games between his return from the injured listing on August 15 and the top of the common season. He made simply two begins throughout the Yankees’ run to the World Collection. He made 234 journeys to the plate and hit .215/.288/.354 with eight dwelling runs.

A part of the lower in enjoying time was attributed to Trevino’s issue controlling the operating sport. In line with Statcast solely Yasmani Grandal His common pop time (throwing time to second base on stolen base makes an attempt) was greater than Trevino’s mark of two.07 seconds. Opponents have captured 57 bases out of 70 makes an attempt in 544 1/3 innings. Trevino continues to obtain exceptionally excessive grades for his framing abilities and blocking capacity, so he stays a invaluable defender, however subpar arm power is changing into a problem.

It’s clear that the Reds place nice significance on these receiving abilities. Trevino has to again up Tyler Stevensonwho hit .258/.338/.444 with 19 homers final season. Stevenson began 112 video games and logged simply over 1,000 innings. He didn’t play first base in ’24 however had performed there sporadically in earlier seasons. Cincinnati might give Stevenson a couple of days of adjusted relaxation at first base or designated hitter if they’re comfy with Trevino beginning to hit 70+ behind the plate.

Trevino has over 5 years of service time. MLTBR contributor Matt Swartz anticipated to earn a wage of $3.4 million throughout his last journey by means of the arbitration course of. Doing so would deliver the workforce’s projected payroll to $104 million (courtesy of List resource). The Reds completed the ’23 marketing campaign with a wage of about $100 million and indicated they had been comfy matching or exceeding that quantity.

Stevenson was the one catcher on Cincinnati’s 40-man roster. They clearly want to amass a veteran backup participant, however it’s nonetheless stunning to see the Reds waive Cruz for one yr of Trevino’s companies. Cruz has been a fixture in Cincinnati’s bullpen over the previous two years. He has sparse management however elite capacity is lacking.

Cruz, a local of Puerto Rico, was drafted as an infielder in 2007. He caught fireplace as a hitter and was fully out of affiliate ball between 2016-2021. Cruz turned to pitching in 2012 and continued to pitch away, nonetheless, finally catching the eye of Reds scouts within the unbiased ranks. He dominated Triple-A opponents in 2022 and earned his first main league call-up as a 32-year-old in September of that yr.

Usually, gamers who do not attain the most important leagues till they’re of their 30s are shortly eradicated from the roster. Nonetheless, Cruz pitched nicely in his last look final season, and the Reds saved him on the 40-man roster. He has topped 65 innings in every of the previous two seasons, beginning in middle-class reduction in 2023 to changing into certainly one of David Bell’s extra frequent leverage choices in entrance of the nearer. Alexis Diaz.

The tip outcomes weren’t nice. Cruz allowed practically 5 earned runs per 9 in each seasons. He has a 4.52 ERA throughout 147 1/3 profession innings. ERA estimators, comparable to FIP and SIERA, discover it considerably extra fascinating than the precise run prevention would recommend — a testomony to the gaudy swing-and-miss numbers.

Cruz has fanned over 35% of opponents in every of the previous two seasons. He holds a cumulative strikeout charge of 36.5% over that stretch. Amongst pitchers with greater than 100 innings, solely Josh Hader and Aroldis Chapman I posted a greater signal. Spencer Strider, Kirby Yates, Garrett Crochet, Jeff Hoffman, Brian Abreu, Paul Skins and Tyler Glasnow Rounding out the highest ten. Cruz equally dominates on a court-by-court foundation. His swinging strike charge of 16.7% ranks fifth amongst that group – behind Strider, Hader, Andres Munoz and Ryan Helsley.

Pitching is not nearly strikeouts, after all, however most pitchers who miss bats at these charges are affect arms. Cruz is holding himself again considerably by issuing too many free passes. He has walked 12.2% of the batters he has confronted this yr and given free passes to 11.4% of opponents in his profession. That is troubling, however it’s straightforward to see why the Yankees touted him as an up-and-coming participant.

Cruz’s calling card is a low-80s splitter, one of the crucial efficient pitches within the sport. Cruz used the show simply over 40% of the time this yr. Opponents solely made contact about 40% of the time they swung. Batters hit .116 towards her. Cruz used it as the ultimate pitch for 88 of his 109 at-bats.

As a result of the splitter was distinctive, opponents contested two different choices — a four-seam fastball that tops out at 94 mph and a cutter that sits within the excessive 80s. Cruz most well-liked to combine the three pitches somewhat than unleash the total break. It is not clear whether or not that was as a result of his consolation or the choice of Cincinnati’s teaching employees, although it would not be stunning if the Yankees pushed him to rely extra ceaselessly on that subject. New York allowed Tommy Kahnle To surrender his fastball and mainly throw all of the changeups for a whole playoff run, for instance.

Cruz has simply over two years of big-league service. He has been beneath membership management for 4 seasons. The prolonged window of management is not an enormous issue for the pitcher who turns 35 in March. It is a increase within the brief time period, although, because the Yankees can get him to the bullpen for the league minimal wage in 2025.

Jackson, who turns 29 on Christmas, completes a return to fill the catcher depth. He signed a minor league contract with Cincinnati final month and won’t take a spot on the 40-man roster. Jackson appeared in a career-high 58 video games for the Rays final season, hitting .122 over 159 plate appearances. He’s a .132/.224/.232 hitter over elements of 5 campaigns. Jackson ought to earn an invitation to spring coaching, the place he might compete with a 29-year-old JC Escarra — who’s on the 40-man roster however has not appeared within the majors — for the backup job behind Wells.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post It was first reported that Trevino was traded to Cincinnati. Post by Joel Sherman It was the primary with the whole commerce. Pictures courtesy of Think about.