The Yankees know they need help behind the plate, and the trade deadline is starting to look like the place to solve it.
Brian Cashman recently called the catcher situation an "issue" as the second half approaches, and Austin Wells’ recent home run binge hasn’t changed the bigger picture. New York wants a right-handed bat at catcher, and if Hunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies or Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins doesn’t become available, the Athletics’ Jonah Heim could be the fallback.
FanSided’s Christopher Kline made the case for Heim on Monday, calling him “probably the most valuable expiring contract for the A's to dangle at the deadline.” Kline pointed to Heim’s background as “a former All-Star and Gold Glove winner at catcher,” while noting that Shea Langeliers’ breakout has pushed Heim into more time at first base or designated hitter.
Even with that shift, Kline said Heim is still “razor-sharp behind home plate,” and argued that teams seeking offense at catcher without giving up much defensively should take a look.
For the Yankees, the fit is imperfect but interesting. Heim is a switch-hitter, but most of his damage would likely come against left-handed pitching.
In 78 at-bats against southpaws in 2026, he’s hitting .295 with a .962 OPS. Against right-handers, those numbers fall to .174 and .541 in 86 at-bats.
Kline also flagged the warning signs. “The numbers under the hood are a bit worrisome, and Heim's track record at the plate is not terribly inspiring.
He definitely benefits from playing at Sutter Health Park,” he wrote. Still, he added that Heim’s late-game production is hard to overlook: “That said, Heim's clutch-time heroics have become difficult to ignore.
He delivers in big spots and brings extremely positive vibes, on top of a valuable skill set at a position where consistent offensive production is scarce.”
Heim might not carry the same buzz as Goodman or Jeffers, but for a Yankees club looking for a steadier, more experienced bat than Ali Sanchez, he would make sense as a backup plan.
In Other News...
Michael Kay And Joe Girardi Just Sparked A Yankees Broadcast Storm
A Yankees broadcast detour turned into a small storm when Michael Kay floated a July what-if about Cam Schlittler, the clubs steadiest arm in the Bronx this season. The idea was simple enough on its face, but it quickly pushed the conversation beyond ordinary rotation talk and into the kind of October-minded planning that can sound a little far-fetched when the calendar still has months to go.
Joe Girardi was not having it, pushing back on the notion that the Yankees should be thinking that far ahead and making clear any change to Schlittlers usage would have to come down to workload, not gamesmanship. Fans mostly met the whole premise with eye rolls online, treating it as another example of overthinking from a team that still has plenty to sort out before anyone should be mapping out a World Series opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Rices Home Run Derby Choice Carries A Powerful Yankees Twist
Ben Rices Home Run Derby plan comes with a family connection that fits the moment as well as anything in the Yankees recent run of feel-good storylines. The rookie has leaned on his father, Dan, for years as a batting-practice arm, long before the spotlight found him in pinstripes, and that old routine now has a chance to play out on one of the sports biggest stages. It is the kind of choice that says as much about Rices path as it does about the event itself.
Dan Rice has been part of that path from the start, a former college pitcher who kept showing up to throw to his son through the years and across plenty of offseason miles. Ben grew up in Cohasset, Massachusetts, and went from Dartmouth to the Yankees with a stop-and-start college career shaped by the pandemic, but the swing he brings to the Derby will have the same familiar setup he has known for most of his life. For a player still carving out his place in New York, it is a reminder that some of the most meaningful baseball moments still begin in the backyard. [Read more 🡒]