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Yankees' Ryan Jeffers Rumors Mean Bad News for Austin Wells
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- Yankees' Ryan Jeffers Rumors Mean Bad News for Austin Wells
(Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
The New York Yankees need help at catcher, whether that means finding a platoon partner for Austin Wells or outright replacing him.
To be quite frank, acquiring a superior offensive backstop (which shouldn't be difficult given Wells' production) and sending Wells to the bench is actually the best idea.
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But do the Yankees have the guts to do it?
New York has long had an affinity for Wells, who is certainly a strong defensive catcher and is beloved by the Yankees' pitching staff.
However, his bat has long been a big problem, and that reached a boiling point in 2026.
So could New York actually go out and find another catcher this winter, one who could potentially take Wells' starting job?
Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly seems to believe so, projecting that the Yankees will bag the best catcher on the free-agent market in Ryan Jeffers.
Jeffers slashed .256/.353/.461 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI over 369 plate appearances with the Minnesota Twins this past season, missing significant time due to a hamate fracture.
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He is a pedestrian defender behind the dish, but he owns a lifetime .753 OPS, which is certainly impressive for a backstop.
The problem for New York is that the Twins extended a qualifying offer to Jeffers, which means the Yanks would have to part with draft capital as well as international bonus pool money if they do sign Jeffers .
That, in my eyes, makes a Jeffers signing that much more unlikely. We know how stingy the Yankees have become regarding their resources, and they already seem to believe that Wells is their catcher as it is. So why would they sacrifice assets to sign another one?
Or, maybe New York is tired of being not good enough and will be willing to go for broke in the coming weeks?
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Whatever the case may be, you do kind of get the feeling that the Yankees will do something at catcher this winter, and while that doesn't necessarily mean they will land Jeffers, they could always sign someone like Tyler Stephenson or Carson Kelly, both of whom would be much stronger offensive options than Wells.
Has New York soured on Wells entirely? Almost certainly not. He was a Gold Glove finalist this year, and it's clear the Yankees value the rapport he has developed with the pitchers.
But perhaps the Yankees are finally starting to realize they can't live with his bat in the lineup every single day.
