The Yankees know they need more offense behind the plate, but that doesn’t mean Austin Wells is being pushed aside.
With the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaching, New York is expected to explore catching help, yet people inside the organization believe Wells’ defense and handling of the pitching staff will keep him in the mix even if the club makes a move. That matters because the Yankees’ pitching staff has been one of the best in baseball, carrying a league-leading 3.41 ERA into Monday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox despite the early-season uncertainty in the bullpen and the absences of Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodón at different points.
Wells has been a big part of that success, even while his bat has lagged badly. Among players with at least 230 plate appearances, he has been MLB’s second-worst hitter; only Ezequiel Tovar of the Colorado Rockies has been worse.
That kind of production is why the Yankees are searching for a catcher who can give them more offense. General manager Brian Cashman said earlier this month that the position was “an issue, clearly.”
Still, the club is not ready to move on from Wells. Aaron Boone said over the weekend in Philadelphia: “Obviously, we expect a lot more out of him offensively,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said over the weekend in Philadelphia.
“He knows he can hit. He believes he’s a better hitter than he’s certainly shown this year.
That’s tough to deal with, but he’s also mature enough and advanced enough in his career that he understands the importance of (being) behind that plate every single day and your role in limiting runs and helping a pitching staff. He’s done a really good job of separating.”
That’s the tension for the Yankees: they want a better bat, but they also value the work Wells does every day. Team sources said it would be surprising if the club went all the way to the top of the catcher market because they still believe in Wells’ role.
Hunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies is one name that has come up, but he would present a major fit issue. Goodman’s defense is a concern around the league, and the Yankees ask a lot from their catchers.
Their daily pitcher-catcher meetings are built around detailed scouting reports and game plans for attacking opposing lineups. Dropping a weak defender into that setup in the middle of a season the Yankees believe can end with a World Series run would be a difficult ask.
Goodman also comes with club control through 2029, which would drive up the trade cost.
The more realistic path appears to be a catcher who could share the job with Wells. Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins fits that description.
The right-handed hitter has done damage against both sides this season, and his career 99 wRC+ against righties makes him a strong platoon match with the lefty-hitting Wells. Jeffers also has a connection to Yankees catching coach Tanner Swanson, who helped steer the Twins toward selecting Jeffers in the second round of the 2018 draft when Swanson was in Minnesota.
Jeffers would also give the Yankees a chance to evaluate a catcher they might pursue again in free agency, since he is set to become a free agent after this season. One league source said he expected the Yankees to check in on Jeffers even if they can’t land him in a trade.
If Jeffers isn’t available, league sources pointed to the Cincinnati Reds’ Tyler Stephenson and the New York Mets’ Luis Torrens as possible alternatives. Stephenson brings defensive questions, including a last-place ranking in framing, though he is considered the best in receiving.
That could matter for the Yankees, who are strong in framing already. Offensively, Stephenson has a 70 wRC+ against lefties this season but a 111 wRC+ for his career.
Torrens is another familiar name, having been in the Yankees’ farm system as recently as 2024. He has an 80 wRC+ against lefties this season and a 95 wRC+ against them in his career.
Neither Stephenson nor Torrens would be the flashiest additions, but both would give the Yankees a much better answer against left-handed pitching. Wells has posted an 11 wRC+ against lefties this season, and that’s the kind of hole New York is trying to fill.
However the deadline shakes out, Wells still looks like a central piece of the Yankees’ catching plans.
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