Marlins may have stolen OF John Cruz from the Yankees

The New York Yankees took care of their hole at third base. The cost could come back to haunt them going forward.

DJ LaMahieu will begin the 2024 season on the injured list due to a significant bone bruise on his right foot. Although he could be activated in time for the Yankees' home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 5, LaMahieu's absence exposed a thin bench. The Yankees addressed that issue on Wednesday, as Jon Heyman of the New York Post is reporting that Jon Berti is being acquired from the Miami Marlins in exchange for outfield prospect John Cruz.

Berti fills a distinct need in New York. He can play second, third and short while spending time in the outfield. The 2022 Major League stolen base leader, Berti has posted a .258/.337/.368 batting line in his 1,550 MLB plate appearances, hitting 23 homers and 63 doubles while stealing 92 bases. He is a solid player with the type of speed the Yankees were missing.

Cruz, meanwhile, had been ranked as the Yankees' 28th-best prospect by MLB.com. Signed for just $75,000 during the 2022 international signing period, he was considered to have impressive power and speed but there were concerns about his overall hit tool and approach. Cruz made adjustments in 2023, becoming more aggressive while no longer trying to launch everything. 

The result was an impressive .294/.376/.531 batting line in 202 plate appearances with 10 homers and six doubles. Despite being the youngest player to qualify for the batting title at 17 years old, he led the league with 47 RBI and was second in home runs.

Cruz has a long way to go before he is on the Major League radar. He has yet to play a season of full season ball and is still in his teens. His size and problematic reads make it questionable as to whether or not he can stick in center. However, he has plenty of tools and a projectable frame. As Cruz continues to improve his approach, he could turn out to be that power-hitting threat in the outfield that the Marlins have sought for years.

Every team has prospects that they regret trading away. Jon Berti fills a need for a Yankees team looking to win now, but John Cruz may end up being one player who got away.