The Yankees had a disappointing season without a catch Austin Wells so far, and his struggle has a group interested in bringing help to hold. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports that the Yanks would prefer to add a right-handed bat behind the plate and is counting on Minnesotans. Ryan Jeffers as a potential target. Jeffers knows Yankees catching director Tanner Swanson well from Swanson’s days as the Twins’ catching coordinator from 2017-19.
Jeffers got off to a good start this season – .295/.408/.541, seven homers, even walk and strikeout rates (15.6%) – but suffered a hamstring fracture last month that required surgery. He will be adjourned in July.
Arrows to Jeffers are trending throughout this season, but he has quietly been one of the best catchers in the game since 2023. In his past 1411 major league plate appearances, Jeffers is sporting a .258/.346/.445 batting line (121 wRC+). The former second-round pick out of UNC Wilmington ranked eighth among professional catchers in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage and sixth in slugging percentage during that span. Jeffers hit a career-high 21 home runs back in 2024 and was on pace to surpass that mark this season.
Aside from the Swanson/Jeffers connection, it should be noted that Jeffers is one of the few options GM Brian Cashman & Co. It is not a foregone conclusion that Jeffers will be removed. The Twins were expected to be salesmen all season and likely will continue to be, but they are 36-40 after four straight wins and currently sit just 1.5 games out of the open AL Wild Card hunt. Jeffers is an upcoming free agent and arguably their most likely trade chip if they do do sold them, but between their recent performances and the 29-year-old’s current injury, a close deal seems unlikely. He makes $6.7MM this season, and the Yankees will have to pay a 110% tax on the remainder of that contract due to their luxury tax status.
Whether it’s Jeffers or someone else, some kind of catching upgrade would be smart for the Yankees, whose backstops combined for a .181/.271/.270 slash this season. A 53 wRC+ score indicates that Yankees catchers were 47% worse than average at the plate, ranking them ahead of only the White Sox (non-starters. Kyle Teel the rest of the season due to injury) and the Phillies.
Wells, currently on the injured list with a neck headache, has been the main culprit. After slashing .224/.294/.423 from 2023-25, he has hit .166/.278/.255 with a career-worst 26.6% slugging percentage in 169 games this season. It’s more likely that ongoing neck/head issues have hampered his production, but Wells’ struggles — and those of backups as well. JC Escarra again Ali Sanchez – They were so heralded that they left the Yankees with little choice but to pursue an upgrade.
If not Jeffers, there are other good cornerbacks that could be available. Minnesota could develop a batting catcher Victor Caratiniwho signed a two-year, $14MM deal this winter, available if they trade him. The Red Sox are open to travel Connor Wongalthough the trade negotiations between the two sides are always complicated by their historical context. Backup hitting A Jonah Heim he’s a free agent at the end of the season and will definitely be available if he ends up trading temporary pieces (though he’s currently in both the AL West and Wild Card races). The Rangers can’t help but part with an old friend Kyle Higashioka (also an upcoming free agent), and the Rockies could have one of the more manageable trade chips on the market if he makes a slugging catch. Hunter Goodman (arb-eligible until 2029) available to other groups.
