Yankees sign former Red Sox folk hero to minor-league contract

The New York Yankees have to rebuild their minor-league depth for 2025 after cutting a number of Triple-A players loose last week, including one of Aaron Judge's 2024 best friends Jahmai Jones. Most of these additions will be depth pieces, but occasionally, someone with proven MLB talent and versatility will slip into the transaction log and give us pause.

This is one such occasion.

If you're an obsessive viewer of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, you certainly remember Pablo Reyes, mainly from being trash talked about his emergence as a viable starter in Alex Cora's system. While Reyes didn't exactly star in the rivalry, Cora and Co. picked him up on a whim in 2023, and he proceeded to hit .287 in 164 plate appearances. Famously, he mashed a walk-off grand slam on Aug. 7, 2023 against the Royals, keeping Boston's playoff hopes - and their remarkable hot streak in the yellow jerseys - alive.

His 2024 season wasn't quite so successful; he posted a 27 OPS+ (not a typo) in 21 games with Boston, then scored a run as a pinch-runner in his singular appearance with the Mets. OMG, indeed. It's performances like that which allow teams like the Yankees to snag you on a minor-league contract prior to the next season, which is exactly what happened on Monday afternoon.

Yankees sign utility infielder Pablo Reyes, formerly of Red Sox and Mets, plus minor-league pitcher Cristian Hernandez

Hey, don't sell Hernandez short! He's a reliever who was most recently of the Reading Fightin' Phils, and he's also the second-most prominent name in Google searches for "MLB prospect Cristian Hernandez," behind the shortstop in the Cubs' system. And, because of this dismissive summary, he's almost guaranteed to be an MLB factor next season.

Anyway, back to Reyes!

Reyes, at one of the lowest points of the 2024 Red Sox season, became the centerpiece of a song focused on the team's malfeasance (and precious few bright spots). Hopefully, any cameo he has with the '25 Yankees looks a lot more like his 2023 entrance rather than his 2024 attempt at "main character energy" in a troll's tune.

Reyes did hit .300 with an .889 OPS in 230 at-bats at Triple-A last season, for what it's worth. He also costs a lot less than Jon Berti, who might just be non-tendered later this week to save some cash at the margins. Don't say we didn't warn you.