The New York Yankees agreed to trade veteran catcher Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday evening, according to multiple reports.
Trevino, 32, had been in New York for the previous three seasons and made the All-Star Game in 2022. Last year, he featured in 73 games for the Yankees and recorded an OPS of .642 with eight home runs and 28 RBIs.
Trevino is a more defensive-minded backstop, having excelled at framing pitches behind the plate during his All-Star season. His throwing arm leaves plenty to be desired, however. He ranked dead last among qualified catchers in terms of throwing speed, and teams expressed a willingness to run the bases more aggressively when Trevino was in the lineup as opposed to other catchers.
In exchange for Trevino, the Yankees will acquire right-handed relief pitcher Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson from Cincinnati. Cruz, 34, made 69 relief appearances for the Reds last year and recorded a 4.86 ERA with 109 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings. Jackson, who turns 29 next week, has featured in 124 games since debuting in MLB in 2019, but owns a career OPS of .456.
Trevino was pushed into more of a backup role for the Yankees last year amid the emergence of Austin Wells, who figures to be the team’s starting catcher in 2025.
