The Red Sox humiliated Jose Trevino by stealing nine bases in a Sunday night game that was nationally televised by ESPN in June, perhaps ending his time with the Yankees.
This wasn’t a single awful game, either.
One of the worst exposed catchers in the major leagues was this one.
By that point, it was clear that Trevino wouldn’t be the No. 2 receiver for long and that youngster Austin Wells, a previous No. 1 draft pick, was the present and the future.
Despite being in a terrible hitting slump, Wells started all but two postseason games during the Yankees’ October World Series run. However, he will have a new backup next season.
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Trevino was sold to the Reds on Friday night in exchange for journeyman catcher Alex Jackson and reliever Fernando Cruz as part of the Yankees’ ongoing offseason roster makeover.
The move was initially reported by the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
Crus, who turned 35 in March, is the Yankees’ huge return and is likely to start in the bullpen the next season. Despite striking out 109 in 66.2 innings, he was 0-3 and had a high 4.86 ERA in 69 games with the Reds the previous season. Last season, he kept opponents to a.116 average with his best pitch, a wicked splitter.
The 6-foot-2 Puerto Rican has pitched in three MLB seasons (2022–24) with the Reds, going 4-11 with a 4.52 ERA. Cruz, who has two years and thirty-five days of service time, is under the Yankees’ ownership for four seasons.
Even though Wells is the only other receiver in the organization with more than one game of experience, Jackson, who turns 29 on Christmas Day, will give the Yankees catching depth, most likely in Triple-A.
Ben Rice, a rookie in 2024 as well, spent the entire previous season at first base with the exception of one inning as catcher. Given that both he and Wells are left-handed hitters, he is most likely not a viable option to support Wells. When playing strong left-handers, the Yankees will probably start some of their games with a right-handed hitter as their No. 2.
Jackson, a right-handed batter who isn’t a danger at the plate, signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on November 9 after playing 58 games with the Rays the previous season.
Jackson, who is regarded as an average catcher, had a career batting average of.122 with three home runs in 139 at-bats during the previous season.132 hitter in 124 games with the Braves (2019–21), Marlins (2021–22), and Rays (2024) who has six home runs and a.456 OPS.
The Yankees’ 40-man roster includes two catchers besides Wells, neither of whom has any prior big-league experience. 29-year-old left-handed bat J.C. Escarra played in 72 Double-A games and 52 Triple-A games last season, averaging.261 with 12 home runs and 64 RBI. In 56 games in High-A and 23 in Double-A, 22-year-old right-handed hitter Jesus Rodriguez batted.302 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI.
Rice is on the infielders’ list.
Trevino was acquired from the Rangers late in spring training in 2022 by the Yankees to split catching responsibilities with Kyle Higashioka, but he immediately became the team’s top pick. He has consistently been among the major leagues’ top framers, and in 22 he had a respectable season both at the plate and throwing out baserunners. Gold Glove, Platinum Glove, and an All-Star selection were the results of all of that.
Trevino hit.215 in 73 games this season, 71 of which he started, with eight home runs and 28 RBI. After returning with Wells as the undisputed No. 1, he didn’t start after spending July 13–August 15 on the injured list due to a quad injury.
Late in the season, Trevino struggled at the plate as well, going 3-for-38 in his final 13 games.
This season, his framing was once again excellent; according to Baseball Savant’s statistics, his plus-10 framing runs placed him fourth in the majors; yet, in their Caught Stealing metrics, he was ranked 76th out of 79 catchers who made ten or more throws. He also placed 78th out of 79 with a throwing arm speed of 72.8 mph.
Pitchers who hold runners are more likely to steal, although Trevino only threw out 13 of 70 this season, or 18.6% of the total, and some of the stolen bases were on pitchers’ pickoffs that were attributed to him. In his first two seasons with the Yankees, he had a caught stealing percentage of 25.8 percent in 2023 and 33.3 percent in 2022.
In 2024, Wells had a 25.6 percent rate and 22 stealings caught out of 86 attempts.
The Yankees will likely be searching for a backup catcher this winter in addition to a starter first baseman, potentially a starting second or third baseman, and perhaps an outfielder as well, given the trade of Trevino.
This offseason, the Yankees have acquired former MVP Cody Bellinger from the Cubs to be a starter in the outfield who will also play some first base, traded with the Brewers for two-time All-Star reliever Devin Williams, and signed two-time All-Star left-hander Max Fried for $218 million after learning on December 8 that they would not be re-signing free agent right fielder Juan Soto.
Cruz is already in the Yankees’ bullpen, and they also re-signed free agent reliever Jonathan Loaisiga, who is expected to return from UCL surgery in May.
You can contact Randy Miller at [email protected].
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