Trevino already building strong rapport with Reds pitchers

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Shortly after coming to the Reds from the Yankees in a December trade, veteran catcher Jose Trevino wanted to do his homework.

Knowing he would soon be handling a whole new pitching staff as the second catcher with Tyler Stephenson, Trevino gathered as much intel as possible and started studying.

“I reached out to the Reds staff and asked them for their video stuff," said Trevino, who was acquired for reliever Fernando Cruz. "I looked at their staff. I looked at their bullpen. I was looking at how they throw, how they pitch, if they’ve got some tendencies or things that they lean on that they like. I was seeing how they go about it."

Upon arriving in camp, Trevino kept soaking up information about Reds pitchers. He wanted to learn about the people and personalities beyond their repertoires, pitch shape and spin rates.

"It’s, ‘I already know most of your pitches but I need to get to know you as a person,'" Trevino said. "'Do I need to pat you on the butt a couple of times? Do I need to get in your face a little bit? What can I do?’

“Get to know your family, if they have kids, what they like to do on and off the field. Get to know them personally and then get my hands on them and catch them and see what their stuff does in real time. Then I listen to them talk about their arsenal and what they think of their pitches and if it matches up with what my eyes are telling me.”

The Reds added Trevino, in part, to be another voice that helps develop a younger pitching staff that features starters like All-Star Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott and Rhett Lowder, MLB Pipeline’s No. 35 overall prospect.

Trevino, 32, has his own dossier with a reputation of being a veteran leader and pitcher whisperer. With the Yankees in 2022, he was an All-Star, a Gold Glove and Platinum Glove winner for his defense, which included 21 defensive runs saved.

“It’s well deserved," manager Terry Francona said. "One of the first things that he told me was he wants to stay in the game and manage. Good, he has all of those attributes. He has got a really good way about him. It’s one thing to have the knowledge but if you kind of bowl everybody over with it, sometimes it doesn’t really get received. He’s got a nice way about it. He’s going to be good.”

Injuries prevented Trevino from following up his career year of '22. In 2023, he was limited to 55 games with issues that included missing most of the second half with a tear in his right wrist. A left quad strain cost him a month during 2024, as rookie Austin Wells became New York's regular catcher while Trevino slashed .215/.288/.354 with eight home runs.

Despite having only 544 1/3 innings caught last season, Trevino was tied for fourth with 10 catcher framing runs and his seven blocks ranked ninth, according to Baseball Savant.

"He always had a good reputation of work ethic, preparation and good communication with the guys," said Reds starting pitcher Nick Martinez, who was previously with Trevino on the Rangers when both of their big league careers were beginning. "A long time down the road now, it’s shown.”

Trevino, who went to the World Series with the Yankees last year, scanned the clubhouse and saw plenty to like about the 2025 Reds.

"We’ve got guys in the bullpen now that are lethal and then [with] our starters, we have weapons. And we haven’t talked about the offensive side," he said. “A lot of the young guys are close -- [Chase] Burns, [Connor] Phillips, [Chase] Petty. You’ve got the young guys, they’re coming. But you look at our staff now, they’re here. They’re ready to go. They’re ready to be an elite staff.”

During a January Reds Caravan trip to Louisville, Trevino was sitting with catcher Alfredo Duno, the Reds’ No. 7 ranked prospect in 2024, on the bus when Francona overheard them talking about technique.

"When a teammate, especially one that had just played in the World Series and with his defensive reputation, when he talks, people are going to listen," Francona said.

Trevino learned his craft by listening and hopes to help others by talking.

“I had a lot of guys that helped me with game calling, prepping and all the things that get overlooked," Trevino said. "It was, ‘This is how you prepare. This is how you get ready for a Major League Baseball game. This is what is expected. This is how you go about it.’ I’m just trying to pay it forward.”