The Yankees didn’t just acquire another bullpen weapon when they traded Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds for Fernando Cruz and Alex Jackson. They landed a pitcher who has been a diehard Yankees fan since childhood, a player who once defended the team’s honor in middle school arguments.
“I’ve always been a diehard Yankee fan,” Cruz told the New York Daily News. “When I was in middle school, I used to fight because you would never talk to me negatively against the Yankees. If you did, we were gonna have a discussion or an argument. We’d have to fight.”
Now, he doesn’t have to argue—he just has to pitch.
A Late Bloomer With Nasty Stuff
Cruz isn’t your typical trade acquisition. At 34 years old, he’s on the older side for a reliever still under team control until 2029. But despite his age, he remains a high-upside arm with elite strikeout ability.
Last season, Cruz tossed 66.2 innings, posting a 4.86 ERA but racking up 14.72 strikeouts per nine innings. The swing-and-miss stuff is undeniable, but his tendency to walk batters and give up home runs has kept him from reaching another level. That’s where the Yankees’ pitching lab comes in.
He already has one of the best splitters in the game, and with a few mechanical adjustments and a better pitch mix, the Yankees believe he can become a key bullpen piece.
Dominant Against Righties, Work to Do Against Lefties
Cruz’s numbers against right-handed hitters were lights out last year—he held them to a .181 batting average and a .292 slugging percentage. But against lefties, things got a little messier, as he allowed a .264 average and a .519 slugging rate.
If the Yankees use him in the right spots, he could be a nightmare for right-handed batters, especially with that splitter keeping hitters off balance. A right-handed-heavy lineup? Cruz is a perfect weapon.
A Dream Come True
Beyond the numbers, the fit between Cruz and the Yankees just feels right. For someone who grew up dreaming of wearing pinstripes, this is more than just another stop in his career.
“It just means the world to me and my family,” Cruz said. “Everyone that knows me knows what it means to me to have the pinstripes on.”
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For Cruz, the opportunity to play for the team he grew up idolizing is a chance to prove himself on the biggest stage.
“I knew I had something special,” Cruz added. “I’ve always had a great arm. I knew something was going to happen because I had special stuff. I just needed to refine it.”
Now, with the Yankees, he’ll have every opportunity to do just that.