Yankees May Regret Trade with Red Sox

The New York Yankees' decision to collaborate with the Boston Red Sox is coming back to haunt them.

The Red Sox pulled off one of the more news-worthy and consequential trades of the offseason by plucking Garrett Crochet, one of the league's top starting pitchers, from the Chicago White Sox. In that deal, they sent former first-round pick and top catching prospect Kyle Teel to the South Siders as the headliner.

With a sudden shortage of big league-caliber backstops, Boston got on the phone with its bitter rivals from the Bronx and swung a trade for Carlos Narváez, a 26-year-old whose only prior MLB experience came in a six-game stint with the Yankees during the 2024 campaign.

In return, New York received international bonus pool money and 21-year-old right-handed pitcher Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, a 2021 fourth-round pick who posted a 2.91 ERA in 21 minor league appearances last season.

So far, the early returns on the move have fallen in Boston's favor. Rodriguez-Cruz has excelled at High-A Hudson Valley, pitching to a 3.22 ERA in seven starts with 43 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings, but Narváez is blossoming into a true difference-maker behind the plate.

He's ripped the starting job out of Connor Wong's hands by slashing .291/.357/.480 through 37 contests and 140 plate appearances with five home runs and 17 RBIs.

Among catchers with at 100 plate appearances, Narváez is tied for third with a 1.7 fWAR while ranking fifth with a 133 wRC+. He's also tied with Patrick Bailey of the San Francisco Giants for the most Defensive Runs Saved at the position with eight.

Narváez has made quite the first impression on Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow, who noted his stellar production and how quickly he's settled into his new digs.

“Obviously, it’s still really early, but we’re very, very excited about what he’s been able to do," Breslow said, via MassLive's Sean McAdam. "And at least as important to what we’re seeing on the field is how quickly he acclimated to Boston and the way he invests and works with the pitching staff.”

Breslow was well-aware of Narváez's defensive prowess before acquiring him, though his offensive contributions have come as a welcome surprise.

“All the information that we had on him told us that he was a really good defensive catcher, and he’s been even better than we thought," Breslow said. "But he had a very strong reputation as being a great framer, a great blocker. We’ve seen that. And the throwing’s really improved.

“We didn’t know what we’d get on the offensive side. We felt like there was some upside and he’s worked really, really hard on that. So he deserves a ton of credit there.”

Over parts of eight minor league seasons in the Yankees' organization, Narváez batted .250/.364/.382 with 47 home runs and 237 RBIs in 2,020 trips to the plate.

It's still too early to mark down the Bronx Bombers as losers in the trade. With Austin Wells underperforming thus far to the tune of a 93 wRC+, however, it stings to see Narváez lighting it up for a division rival.

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