The Boston Red Sox made one of the best moves of the offseason when they picked up Carlos Narvaez in a trade with the New York Yankees. However, that deal hasn’t exactly gone down as a total loss for the Yankees just yet.
In exchange for Narvaez, New York acquired right-handed pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international signing bonus pool money. While Narvaez has starred for Boston, Rodriguez-Cruz has continued to make waves in the Yankees’ farm system.
In 2025, Rodriguez-Cruz has jumped all the way up to become New York’s No. 6 prospect. In 19 outings between High-A and Double-A, Rodriguez-Cruz has an 8-5 record with a 2.87 ERA and 122 strikeouts.
While Rodriguez-Cruz was a solid prospect for Boston, he’s really taken a step forward in the wake of the trade. When discussing the move, the 21-year-old hurler seemed to take a parting shot at his former club.
“Ever since I got here, they put more emphasis on trusting all my stuff and using all my pitches, getting good counts and trying to use all of them to my advantage where it plays best,” Rodriguez-Cruz said when speaking with reporters.
Story continues below advertisement
“It’s just more confidence. Ever since I got here, they just let me pitch and their letting me execute, and I feel like I’ve taken advantage of that.”
Rodriguez-Cruz doesn’t directly call out Boston, but he seems to believe that New York has allowed him to take the training wheels off this season. He’s promptly taken a massive step forward and has become one of the Yankees’ top prospects.
Considering how Narvaez has hit .248 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs for Boston, though, the team likely isn’t too upset with how this trade has panned out. Now, they will be hoping he can return to the lineup sooner rather than later, as he is once again out on Sunday as he continues to deal with a knee injury.
Story continues below advertisement
