The Yankees took an unexpected route in reshaping their bullpen this offseason, trading one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, Jose Trevino, to the Reds in exchange for veteran reliever Fernando Cruz.
On the surface, the move raised eyebrows—Cruz, at 34, isn’t exactly a young, untapped arm, and his 4.86 ERA in 2024 doesn’t scream elite reliever. But the Yankees aren’t the type to make moves without doing their homework, and they might have spotted something others missed.
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ERA only tells part of the story when evaluating a pitcher, and the Yankees clearly see something in Cruz’s arsenal that makes him a worthwhile investment.