Austin Wells has given the Yankees a little life behind the plate lately, but one hot stretch doesn’t erase the bigger picture. Over his last four games before the All-Star break, he homered twice and posted an average exit velocity of 93.6 MPH. Against the Dodgers, he didn’t get much to show for it, though he did hammer a 99 MPH line drive that Andy Pages tracked down with a spectacular catch in the outfield.
Even with that uptick, the Yankees can’t afford to treat catcher as solved. Wells still sits at a 41 wRC+ this season, and the recent surge covers only 15 plate appearances. That’s not enough to keep Brian Cashman from looking hard at upgrades.
Hunter Goodman and Ryan Jeffers have already been floated as possibilities, and both would represent a real step forward. Goodman brings the kind of resume that turns heads: two All-Star nods, a Silver Slugger award, and team control through 2030.
Jeffers, who has just come off the injured list, would be more of a short-term play, but his 164 wRC+ in 160 plate appearances makes the appeal obvious. He’d be a rental, but a productive one.
Still, the Yankees don’t have to limit themselves to the obvious names. Miami’s Liam Hicks is another catcher worth watching, especially if the Marlins are willing to talk. Miami is 52-46, so any deal would likely require the Yankees to send back pieces that can help right away, with Will Warren mentioned as the kind of major league-ready return that could get their attention.
Hicks, 27 and a debutant last year, is putting together a strong season of his own. He’s hitting .289/.362/.455 with a 124 wRC+.
And while catcher is his primary lane, he’s not boxed into one spot. He’s logged 255 innings behind the plate this year after 437.1 last season, and he’s also spent time at designated hitter and first base, where he has 166.1 innings.
That kind of flexibility gives a roster more ways to work, especially if Wells is part of the mix.
There’s also some real offensive intrigue in Hicks’ profile. He’s a pull-hitter with strong contact indicators, including 99th-percentile marks in strikeout rate, whiff rate, and squared-up rate. He also sits in the 69th percentile in chasing pitches outside the zone.
If the Yankees miss out on Jeffers or decide Goodman costs too much, Hicks could be the fallback that still makes sense. He may not have the same catching workload as some of the other names in the market, but he’s an underrated backstop with enough bat and versatility to help patch a clear problem.
The catch, of course, is that Miami isn’t waving the white flag. If the Yankees want Hicks, they’ll have to pay with players who can help the Marlins in the majors now.
In Other News...
Yankees May Have Found A Real Catcher Answer Before Deadline Panic
The Yankees have spent enough of this season looking for answers behind the plate that the position has become part of the deadline conversation. Austin Wells has not given the club the production it expected, and general manager Brian Cashman has already acknowledged the issue while the front office sorts through possible trade options before the August 3 deadline. It is the kind of problem that can linger all summer if a team does not find a real fix, especially when the catching group is dragging in a way the Yankees can no longer ignore.
One name that has come up in the chatter is Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno, a player who would give New York a very different kind of profile at the position if the Yankees decided to push harder. Moreno has been productive for the Diamondbacks this season and, just as importantly for any trade market, comes with years of club control beyond this one. For now, there is no official deal on the table, but the fact that the Yankees are being linked to a catcher of that caliber tells you how seriously they are treating the position as deadline pressure builds. [Read more 🡒]
This Under The Radar Bat Could Fix More Than One Yankees Problem
The Yankees still have a lot of boxes to check before the trade deadline, with clear needs at catcher, in the bullpen and in the rotation, plus some secondary asks that could shape the rest of the roster. One name that keeps surfacing as a fit is Spencer Steer, the Reds versatile bat who can move around the diamond and gives a lineup some right-handed balance while also helping cover more than one hole at once.
Steers appeal goes beyond just being a useful extra piece. He has handled multiple positions, has done damage against left-handed pitching and, with Cincinnatis playoff chances fading, he looks like the kind of player who could become available at the right time. The contract side matters too, since he is affordable now and controlled for several more seasons, which is exactly the sort of flexibility a contender like New York tends to value when it starts shopping for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Have Two Trade Decisions They Cant Afford To Miss
The Yankees are heading toward the trade deadline with the kind of roster pressure that usually forces a front office to pick priorities fast. The bullpen still needs help, the catcher spot remains unsettled, and the outfield and designated hitter mix has been thinned further by injuries, leaving the club with more holes than comfortable answers as it tries to stay on course in the American League race.
Aaron Judges situation only adds to the uncertainty, and Giancarlo Stanton being hurt again makes the lineup picture even harder to read. If the Yankees decide to buy, they will have to choose carefully between adding a bat and reinforcing the pitching staff, with names like Joc Pederson and Miguel Andujar floating as possible fits while the bigger question remains how aggressive they can afford to be. [Read more 🡒]