Yanks get pitching prospect, int'l pool money from Red Sox for Narvaez

Yanks get pitching prospect, int'l pool money from Red Sox for Narvaez

2:02 AM UTC

DALLAS -- The Yankees concluded an eventful Winter Meetings by reaching a trade with the Red Sox on Wednesday, acquiring Minor League right-hander and international signing bonus pool money in exchange for catcher .

It is the second consecutive Winter Meetings to feature a trade between the longtime rivals, following last December’s deal that sent outfielder Alex Verdugo to New York in exchange for three pitchers: Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said earlier on Wednesday that the Bombers have received numerous inquiries about their catching depth, which includes Austin Wells, Jose Trevino, J.C. Escarra and Jesus Rodriguez all on the 40-man roster.

Additionally, catcher/first baseman Ben Rice is on the Yanks’ 40-man roster, though Cashman said he considers Rice more of an option at first base because his left-handed bat is “somewhat blocked” at catcher by Wells.

“Our development system has produced a lot of catching,” Cashman said. “We’ve had a lot of people hit us on our catching. It doesn’t mean we’ll do anything or not, but it’s nice. We’re definitely having people ask us about it.”

Rodriguez-Cruz, 21, combined to go 5-5 with a 2.91 ERA in 21 games (20 starts) with Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville in 2024. He was named the Carolina League’s Pitcher of the Month for June with Salem after allowing two runs (none earned) in 20 innings over four starts.

Following the season, Rodriguez-Cruz was named a Low Class-A All-Star with Salem by Baseball America.

Over three Minor League seasons in the Red Sox organization (2022-24), Rodriguez-Cruz has gone 11-11 with a 2.60 ERA in 48 games (44 starts). The Trujillo Alto, P.R., native was originally selected by Boston in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

Narvaez, 26, saw his first Major League action in 2024, hitting .231 (3-for-13) with two walks in six games with the Yankees. The right-handed batter spent most of the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, batting .254 with 54 runs, 20 doubles, 11 homers, 58 RBIs, 56 walks and nine stolen bases in 96 games.

Originally signed as a non-drafted free agent, Narvaez spent eight seasons in the Yankees' organization (2016-19, ‘21-24), hitting .250 with 47 homers and 237 RBIs in 496 games.