Brian Cashman didn’t dance around it. When a reporter asked about the Yankees’ catcher situation, the general manager kept it short and direct.
“It’s an issue, clearly.”
That’s four words that tell you everything about where New York’s front office head is at right now. And honestly, it’s hard to argue with him.
Austin Wells has been brutal at the plate. He’s hitting .148 with a .468 OPS. That’s not just a slump. That’s a full-on crisis for a position that’s supposed to contribute something offensively. The Yankees need production from somewhere, and right now the catcher spot is a black hole.
The trade market is thin. But there are options.
Finding a catcher midseason is never easy. Teams don’t exactly line up to trade away guys who can handle the position even halfway decently. But the Yankees have been linked to a few names.
Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins keeps popping up in rumors. He’s got some pop and a decent track record behind the plate. Then there’s Hunter Goodman from the Colorado Rockies. He’s more of an unknown quantity at the big league level, but the raw tools are interesting. If Colorado makes him available, you’d think Cashman would pick up the phone.
Neither guy is going to turn the Yankees into a juggernaut overnight. But either would represent a clear upgrade over what they’re getting now. And in a division race this tight, that kind of marginal gain can matter.
The Yankees are chasing the Rays in the AL East. Every game counts. Every at-bat matters.
Of course, the real elephant in the room is Aaron Judge. He’s out with an injury and nobody knows exactly when he’ll be back. His return would feel like the biggest trade acquisition of the year, honestly. But the Yankees can’t just wait around for that. They have to win games now.
Cashman’s admission basically signals that the front office is open for business. They know the catching situation is broken. They know they need to do something about it. Whether they can actually pull off a deal before the deadline is another question.
But at least they’re not pretending everything is fine.
That alone is something.
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