The New York Yankees were active over the weekend, trading Jose Trevino Friday night and signing first baseman Paul Goldschmidt early Saturday afternoon.

According to Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Trevino’s trade brought back right-handed reliever Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson. Jack Curry of the YES Network was the first to report Goldschmidt signing for one year worth $12.5 million.

Wells Aims To Build On Rookie Season

Austin Wells finished the 2024 season third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting, and will now be given the keys to the position after the Trevino trade. Wells finished the season with 115 games played, and 414 plate appearances, with a slash line of .229/.322/.395.  The numbers improved substantially when he earned regular playing time after a Trevino quad injury in mid-July, and he was moved to the clean-up spot behind Aaron Judge.

In 2024, the New York Yankees bullpen did not have quality arms with swing-and-miss stuff. After resigning Jonathan Loaisiga and trading for Devin Williams, the front office showed their determination to revamp the relief options. In acquiring Cruz, the Yankees retrieved an arm that averaged 14.7 strikeouts per nine innings last season, and in 66.2 innings of work, he struck out 109 batters. Despite a high 4.86 earned run average, the hope is pitching coach Matt Blake gets in the lab with Cruz and forms another versatile option.

New York Welcomes Another Former MVP

After acquiring former MVP Cody Bellinger, Brian Cashman added even more veteran experience to the clubhouse in Paul Goldschmidt. At 38 years old, the first baseman has seen his offense fall from his 2022 MVP campaign, but the gold glover still has defensive ability. The Yankees hope that with a change of scenery and an expectation of chasing a World Series, Goldschmidt’s numbers improve enough to be impactful in a much deeper lineup.

Is There Another Move Up Cashman’s Sleeve

Despite making a variety of moves, the Yankees still have question marks at the second base/third base positions. Jazz Chisholm will slide into one of those two slots, but will the Bronx Bombers go with an in-house option like Oswaldo Cabrera or DJ LeMahieu at the other? The big name on the market at third is Alex Bregman, but there have been doubts about how his bat will play at Yankee Stadium and the price tag it will take to bring him in.

Alex Bregman spent nine seasons at third base for the Houston Astros

Other free agent options include former Yankees Gleybar Torres, but it seems the Yankees want to go more defensive in their approach to each position. On the trade market, Brandon Lowe of the Tampa Bay Ras is a name on every Yankee fan’s mind, but it is all rumors on if the Rays will move off the second baseman who is slated to make $10.5 million in 2025. The Rays have a history of moving off their veteran players who see their salaries increase and with their stadium situation asking more financial questions, it will be interesting to see what Tampa does.