Yankees could've replaced Jake Bird with 102-mph ex-Red Sox reliever from Triple-A

TL;DR

The New York Yankees optioned reliever Jake Bird to Triple-A after a poor performance against the Los Angeles Angels, where he allowed three earned runs. They recalled Yerry De Los Santos but could have considered Yovanny Cruz, a 102-mph reliever from Triple-A who previously played for the Boston Red Sox.

Yankees could've replaced Jake Bird with 102-mph ex-Red Sox reliever from Triple-A originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Reliever Jake Bird hung a slider to Mike Trout in last night's comeback 11-10 win for the New York Yankees over the Los Angeles Angels.

At the time, Trout's two-run deposit into the Angels' bullpen put his club ahead 10-8 in the eighth inning of the back-and-forth affair. Bird exited having allowed three earned runs on four hits in just one inning, skyrocketing his ERA to 7.71.

Following the game, the Yankees optioned Bird to Triple-A, recalling right-hander Yerry De Los Santos. Instead of De Los Santos, New York should have considered his Triple-A teammate, who spent 2025 in the Boston Red Sox system.

Yovanny Cruz is getting his first taste of Triple-A after signing a minor league deal with the Yankees this past November. The 26-year-old uses a power fastball that touches 102 mph to dominate opposing batters.

In five appearances as a reliever with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the Dominican Republic native has a 2.84 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 6.1 innings. Over the offseason, Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed that the roster could have used more velocity in the bullpen.

More: Shohei Ohtani deemed more valuable than Aaron Judge in recent ESPN discussion piece

"Whether Boone, [Brian] Cashman and the Yankees knew they had something in Cruz all along, or whether his swift development was a happy accident, will be debated all summer long (as long as summer goes well)," Adam Weinrib of Yanks Go Yard wrote April 1. "For now, he's down in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre continuing to work on his one glaring flaw and hoping his late-spring command progress was legitimate, just like the rest of us."

Despite having limited Triple-A experience, Cruz, along with No. 2 prospect Carlos Lagrange, has the velocity Boone is searching for. That's not to say there wouldn't have been growing pains with Cruz in the Majors, but at least the Yankees would know if the youngster is a part of their future.

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Q&A

Why did the Yankees option Jake Bird to Triple-A?

The Yankees optioned Jake Bird to Triple-A due to his poor performance, where he allowed three earned runs in just one inning, raising his ERA to 7.71.

Who is Yovanny Cruz and why is he significant for the Yankees?

Yovanny Cruz is a 26-year-old reliever who recently signed with the Yankees and has a fastball that reaches 102 mph, making him a powerful option from Triple-A.

What was the outcome of the Yankees vs. Angels game?

The Yankees won the game against the Angels 11-10, despite trailing after Mike Trout's two-run homer in the eighth inning.