Austin Wells’ injury has put the Yankees in quite a difficult spot. It’s safe to say that right now, their catching situation is among the worst in the league because even when Wells was healthy, he was sporting a woeful 54 wRC+. And that’s the starter behind the plate.
The cold, hard numbers show just how bad the Yankees’ catchers have been this year, especially since the start of May. Per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, since May 1, the team’s backstops had a combined 8 wRC+, a slash line of .130/.205/.165,
and a strikeout rate of 30.7 percent before Wednesday’s matinee in Cleveland, and they hadn’t even reached base in June. That’s just rough.
Since the Yanks are reluctant to try Ben Rice behind the plate, which is fair and understandable for many reasons ranging from catching defense to not overloading Rice with the burden of learning a pitching staff, they really need to bring in someone, even if it’s not a star.
The in-house solutions are J.C. Escarra, who entered Wednesday’s game with a 25 wRC+, newly promoted backup option Alí Sánchez, a non-roster invitee in spring who had a 22 wRC+ for his career in the majors and an 88 mark in Triple-A before taking the field, 26-year-old career minor leaguer Abrahan Gutiérrez, and Miguel Palma. Payton Henry could have earned a call-up, but he’s currently on Scranton’s injured list.
The Yankees have trusted Wells for years, almost blindly, to the point of trading multiple catching prospects over the years because he was the unquestioned starter. He was, after all, a 2024 AL Rookie of the Year finalist. He’s at a bit of a crossroads, though, with just 0.2 fWAR and a horrible .533 OPS this year before going down with cervical headaches.
It appears his stint on the injured list will be short, but even if that’s the case, it’s becoming increasingly clear that he needs some sort of competition for playing time and at-bats. Given the bleak outlook of the position in the organization, a trade shouldn’t be ruled out. It would actually be the best idea, all things considered.
Of course, getting an impact catcher via trade in the middle of the season is not exactly realistic. Teams just don’t give those away so easily. However, the Yankees should be on the market for a backup-type backstop who can start for stints and not embarrass himself. Think about how even an 80-wRC+ catcher would improve the bottom of the lineup.
You probably won’t see any deals for Adley Rutschman, Hunter Goodman, or Dillon Dingler, for example, but perhaps a veteran who’s still a decent hitter, or a failed prospect behind the plate with a decent floor, could become viable options for New York. They need catching help badly, and if Wells doesn’t return to form eventually, the position could become the team’s Achilles heel heading into the stretch run and October.
Right now, the Yankees have several areas in which they could potentially improve. They could definitely use a late-inning reliever or two, for example. No need is as big as the one they have behind the dish, though, and they need to do something about it.
By now, it’s well-established that the organization loves a good framer who can handle the pitching staff well. There’s a lot of catching talent around the league, so it’s just a matter of finding the right fit with a team that is actually willing to part with one.
It won’t be as easy as it sounds, even if the hypothetical player in question is not a star, because many clubs are contending or in a weird gray area in which they are close enough to contention that they won’t want to part with assets. But the Yankees need to make an effort, even if it means overpaying a bit. Bringing in a catcher who can compete with Wells and play some decent baseball when he’s not around is a must.
