Prior to the Goldschmidt signing, the Yankees struck a deal with the Cincinnati Reds that involved former Rays catcher, Alex Jackson. About a month prior, the Reds signed Jackson to a minor league contract that included an invite to Spring Training. Cincinnati decided to move in a different direction with their catcher depth.

Yankees trade All-Star C Jose Trevino to Reds for RHP Fernando Cruz and C Alex Jackson

The deal between the Yankees and Reds included 2022 All-Star backstop, Jose Trevino and right-handed reliever, Fernando Cruz. The primary piece for the Yankees in this transaction was the Reds split-finger specialist. In 2024, Cruz threw his splitter at a 41% clip, which was more than any other pitch. With his fastball at an average velocity of 94 mph, the splitter dropped off a significant 13 mph with elite movement. The combination of Devin Williams and Fernando Cruz’s offspeed pitches in their 2025 bullpen will be devastating.

With that being said, Alex Jackson was clearly a throw-in player in this trade, especially with the Reds acquiring Trevino. It’s hard to know if the 2014 first round pick will make the loaded New York roster out of Spring Training, but Rays fans remember his weaknesses all too well. The 28-year old catcher had one of the worst offensive seasons in Rays franchise history.

Jackson appeared in 58 games for the Rays in 2024 and slashed a miserable .122/.201/.237 for the year. One stat that makes this season look more horrific is his .077 batting average against opposing pitchers’ fastballs. To put that into perspective, fellow Rays catcher, Ben Rortvedt had a much better .209 AVG against the fastball. Meanwhile, AL MVP Aaron Judge recorded a whopping .371 AVG against opposing fastballs. If the Yankees want to get productive at-bats from Jackson this season, then they will need to drastically change his approach at the plate.

Now, this begs the question: why did the Yankees decide to acquire Alex Jackson in this trade? The reason may be that the right-handed hitter has some pretty impressive power potential. Although only homering three times in major league games last season, Jackson has accrued 113 home runs in the minors, as he’s displayed power to all fields.

The Reds were able to snag a solid backup catcher option in Jose Trevino. His offensive production has dropped off since 2022, but his defense has some bright spots, as he was in the 95th percentile in framing last season. It will be interesting to see how this trade plays out for both clubs in 2025.