The Yankees are still hunting for a new starting catcher, and if the two names they’ve been tied to most often don’t shake loose, Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson could be the fallback plan.
New York has been connected all summer to Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers and Colorado’s Hunter Goodman, but both situations come with complications. The Rockies may decide not to move Goodman, while the Twins could stay in the race and hold onto Jeffers. If that’s how things play out, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic say Stephenson becomes a real alternative for the Yankees and other clubs.
“The Cincinnati Reds' Tyler Stephenson, one catcher who is available, might become an alternative for the Yankees, and other teams are pursuing Minnesota Twins' Ryan Jeffers,” Rosenthal and Sammon write.
Stephenson has picked up steam lately. Rosenthal and Sammon noted that he has a “.928 OPS in his last 27 games entering Thursday.”
The 29-year-old is under team control through the 2026 MLB season, the same timeline as Jeffers, but the Reds appear willing to sell rather than make a push. That makes Stephenson the more realistic trade target if New York is looking for a catcher who can step in right away.
For the season, Stephenson has a .712 OPS in 77 games, along with 1.2 bWAR, 50 hits, 21 runs scored, 12 doubles, eight home runs, 27 RBIs, a .244 batting average and a 94 OPS+.
Those numbers don’t jump off the page, especially next to Jeffers’ 2.1 bWAR and .950 OPS or Goodman’s 31 homers. But Stephenson would still be a clear upgrade over Austin Wells and the rest of the Yankees’ catching group.
And unlike some of the bigger names on the market, he may actually be available. If the Yankees want to land a starting catcher, Stephenson could end up being their cleanest path.
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