Yankees sneakily sign former flamethrowing Red Sox minor leaguer

In recent years, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have made it a habit of swiping intriguing, if not overwhelming, arms from each other. Some, like Greg Weissert, found new life on the other side of the rivalry. Others, like Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, have raised their stock dramatically.

That carousel is turning again, with the Yankees snapping up another intriguing former Red Sox minor league hurler on a minor league deal in one of the offseason's first official moves. Coming into the Yankees' system is 26-year-old Yovanny Cruz, a player who has yet to surpass Double-A, but brings a great deal of intrigue with him.

Yankees signing former Red Sox pitcher with a blazing fastball brings intrigue amid uncertainty

Originally signed out of the Dominican Republic as a 17-year-old by the Chicago Cubs, Cruz made his way to the Red Sox last offseason, generating some buzz in the process. In 2024, he uncorked the 19th fastest pitch in all of the minor leagues, a heater that came in at 101.3 miles per hour.

High velocities are the norm for Cruz, whose young career has been ravaged by injuries that have at least partially held him down, despite breaking into professional ball back in 2017.

Originally thought of as a starter, Cruz was the Cubs' No. 16 overall prospect back in 2020, with scouts noting his plus slider and promising changeup supported his blazing fastball to create an impressive repertoire.

The "starter" ship may have sailed, in light of all of his injuries, but Cruz tossed a career-high 59.1 innings over 34 games, working as a multi-inning reliever for the Red Sox's Double-A club.

There was a lot of good during his time in Boston's system. Cruz recorded a 3.03 ERA while racking up 10.92 K/9 and allowed a ridiculous .171 batting average against. He also kept the ball in the yard, surrendering just 0.76 HR/9.

However, as unhittable as he looked, opposing batters didn't actually have to get hits off of him in order to cause trouble. Cruz struggled with command, issuing 6.67 free passes per nine innings in 2025.

The inability to harness his stuff to throw strikes has greatly hampered his failure to launch, just as impactfully as his injury issues.

With that said, the talent in his right arm is undeniable. If the Yankees can get his mechanics straightened out, they might be able to kill two birds with one stone, improving his control and durability at the same time.

Assigned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, it appears as if the once-promising prospect will get his first taste of Triple-A action, paving the way for a potential big league call-up in 2026, should a need arise.

First, though, Cruz is working on his craft in his homeland, pitching for the Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican Winter League. His performance there will be something to keep an eye on. So far, he's made two appearances and thrown two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and, most importantly, no walks.

Cruz is very much a lottery ticket, but hey, somebody's gotta hit the jackpot once in a while, right?