The New York Yankees will be looking to make multiple offseason moves. General manager Brian Cashman has several significant roster holes to fill in the coming months. New York’s bullpen perhaps tops the relatively lengthy list of areas needing improvement. Nevertheless, a new third baseman, catcher, and second baseman (assuming Jazz Chisholm departs) are also likely needed.
As far as the catching position goes, the Yankees have been linked with stars such as Hunter Goodman and Ryan Jeffers. However, because New York needs several acquisitions this winter, they probably cannot just grab their top targets at every position. As SNY’s Phillip Martinez points out, the Colorado Rockies and Minnesota Twins set extremely high price tags on the two catchers before the trade deadline.
While the New York Yankees can now sign Jeffers as a free agent, he is expected to earn a significant salary. As a result, Cashman could turn to Tyler Stephenson. Martinez specifically mentioned the now-former Cincinnati Reds slugger as a potential winter target of the Bronx Bombers. Stephenson is also a free agent after finishing off a one-year, $6.8 million deal in Cincinnati.
The former Red may not exactly be a household name, but he has proven to be a consistent Major League Baseball hitter. He most recently collected 15 home runs and 54 RBIs, while slashing .241/.323/.404 in 130 games. All of these statistics topped New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells in 2026. Stephenson is also capable of playing first base, a potential bonus for the Yankees.
New York Yankees Have Showed Interest in Tyler Stephenson Before
This is not the first time that the New York Yankees have been linked to Stephenson. MLB insider Jon Heyman previously revealed that Cashman “checked on” the Reds catcher ahead of the trade deadline in August. Along with the aforementioned trio, the reporter also claimed that New York was interested in Adley Rutschman. The Baltimore Orioles, however, ultimately traded the All-Star catcher to the Boston Red Sox.
While Cashman opted not to make a move in August, he simply has to acquire a new catcher now. New York Yankees players at this position combined to record a .196 batting average and .600 OPS on the current campaign. These anemic hitting stats ranked 28th and 27th in all of Major League Baseball, respectively.
The Reds may have missed their chance to cash in on Stephenson. After holding onto the catcher for the remainder of the 2026 season, it seems as if Cincinnati is ready to move on from the star. Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall recently hinted that the slugger could cost too much money to bring back.
New York Could Save Money to Use in Other Areas
The New York Yankees, however, should be able to agree to terms with Stephenson if they go in that direction. A trade for Goodman is likely going to cost a lot. Jeffers, on the other hand, should demand a higher contract this winter. The former Twins star led all pending free agent catchers with a 4.7 WAR in 2026. Stephenson recorded a respectable 2.5 WAR in Cincinnati. This was the third-highest figure among UFA players at his position.
Yankees Expected to Target $6.8 Million Former Reds Slugger