The New York Yankees are expected to pursue catching help and have been linked to multiple names.
New York will look for a hitter to pair with Austin Wells, as the Yankees haven’t gotten much offensive production at catcher. Although New York wants to acquire Ryan Jeffers, Yankees analyst Stephen Parello of FanSided connects the Yankees to former New York Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud.
“Here’s where Brian Cashman likely shops: in the bargain bin, looking for a right-handed bat to complement Wells rather than supplant him. This might disappoint fans, but Wells has actually been okay against righties this season with a 94 wRC+. His -3 wRC+ against southpaws, however, proves that he should be firmly planted on the bench whenever a lefty takes the hill,” Parello wrote. …
“Former Mets backstop Travis d’Arnaud is another potential option. He’s in the midst of his second-straight frustrating season with the Angels, but it’s hard to hold that against him. Anaheim is some sort of bizarro-world where up is down, left is right, and Oswald Peraza is good at baseball. The veteran has a career 116 wRC+ against lefties that will certainly play. The downside is that he was recently transferred to the 60-day IL as he recovers from plantar fasciitis. He should return by early July, but that won’t give us much time to make sure that there aren’t any lingering effects.”
d’Arnaud is a former top prospect of the Toronto Blue Jays and is a solid catcher who can form a tandem with Austin Wells.
d’Arnaud is currently injured, but he’s good for 15+ home runs a year and has a career batting average of .245.
Yankees Looking for Catching Help
New York has two clear needs ahead of the trade deadline, which are the bullpen and catching.
The Yankees are linked to a right-handed catcher ahead of the August 3 trade deadline, according to The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner.
“But given their needs, it’s possible the Yankees will bring in an external catcher before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. According to multiple team sources who were granted anonymity so they could speak candidly, the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed-hitting catcher before the deadline. They had high hopes for starting catcher Austin Wells entering this season, but he has been one of MLB’s most disappointing players,” Kirschner wrote.
The Yankees have been widely connected to Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins, but he will likely be the top catcher available. So, there could be competition to acquire him, which could force the Yankees to pivot to other options.
New York Gets Wells Back
The Yankees activated Wells from the injured list on Sunday, while the team optioned catcher J.C. Escarra.
Wells, meanwhile, will also make a change to his catching, as he will use a hockey goaltender-style mask upon his return, hoping to alleviate the headache issue.
“It felt a little sturdier,” Wells said earlier this month. “Whatever was going on this year, it wasn’t really working. I’ll try everything.”
Wells is hitting .163 with 4 home runs and 7 RBIs this season.
Yankees Linked to Trading for Former Mets Catcher in Intriguing Move