The Yankees have plenty on their offseason plate, but the catching situation deserves real urgency. If Brian Cashman wants a right-handed bat behind Austin Wells, the smarter play may be Carson Kelly instead of getting dragged into a Ryan Jeffers bidding war.
Jeffers is drawing plenty of attention for good reason. Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Jeffers plans to turn down the Twins’ one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer in search of a multi-year deal.
Minnesota, though, isn’t simply stepping aside. The Twins want to keep him and reportedly met with his agent, Scott Boras, during the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas.
That kind of market can get expensive fast, especially for a catcher coming off a strong season at the plate. Jeffers hit .256 with 14 home runs and an .814 OPS in 2026, production that figures to pull interest from clubs looking for offense behind the dish. That is exactly why the Yankees should be careful not to overextend.
New York already has Wells penciled in as the starter, with Ali Sánchez in the backup role for now. But the offense from that spot was a real problem for much of 2026. Wells finished the regular season at .186 with 14 home runs and a .624 OPS, and his numbers against left-handed pitching were especially rough: 11 hits in 90 at-bats, a .192 on-base percentage, and a .436 OPS.
He did show life late. Wells hit four home runs over his final 10 regular-season games and then posted a .761 OPS in the postseason.
That’s enough to keep the Yankees invested in him. It’s not enough to make them comfortable going into another season hoping the bat catches up.
Sánchez didn’t solve anything, either. In 51 games, he hit .244 with one home run, eight RBIs, and a .577 OPS.
Even against lefties, where he was better than most of his overall line suggests, he still managed only a .268 average, a .286 on-base percentage, and a .676 OPS. He drew no walks in 43 plate appearances against left-handed pitching.
That leaves New York needing more than a warm body. It needs a catcher who can actually help the lineup, especially from the right side. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees have already looked into right-handed catching options, including Kelly.
Kelly fits the need cleanly. He played in 116 games for the Cubs in 2026 and hit .258 with 10 home runs, 58 RBIs, and a .712 OPS.
The bigger selling point is what he did against lefties: .298/.375/.496 with six home runs and an .871 OPS. Compared with Wells’ .436 OPS against southpaws, that’s a major difference.
He also gives Aaron Boone more ways to manage the position. Kelly could handle left-handed starters, while Wells continues to develop against right-handed pitching. If Wells goes through another slump, Kelly has already shown he can take on a heavier workload.
There’s another layer here, too. The Cubs declined Kelly’s $7.5 million mutual option for 2027, which means he enters free agency without the draft-pick compensation attached to Jeffers. That matters for a Yankees team that also has to sort out the bullpen, the infield, and the rest of the roster.
Minnesota is still trying to keep Jeffers, and that could push the market in a direction New York may not want to follow. Bobby Nightengale also reported that Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said Minnesota has already reached out to representatives of other free-agent catchers while continuing talks with Jeffers.
If the Twins lose him, they’ll need a fallback. So will other teams if Jeffers’ price climbs too high or they balk at the draft-pick cost.
Kelly could become one of the best alternatives on the board. He offers experience, production against lefties, and no qualifying-offer baggage. With MLB’s collective bargaining agreement set to expire on December 1 and a possible lockout looming, there’s also a case for moving quickly.
The Yankees don’t need the splashiest name at catcher. They need a dependable right-handed option who complements Wells and gives Boone a real weapon in the right matchup.
Kelly checks those boxes. Cashman should move before the Jeffers market gets out of hand.
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