The New York Yankees are currently taking on the Mets in the Subway Series, which is usually the forefront of MLB’s ‘Rivarly Weekend’. The Yankees have had a lot of success this season, but there are still some players who need to get going. Most notably, catcher Austin Wells and infielder Ryan McMahon have been holding the Yankees’ lineup back.
Austin Wells will likely keep the starting job for most of the season, unless it gets to a point where New York just can’t keep running him out there. One name the Yankees could consider trading for is Sean Murphy, who would be a good backup to Austin Wells. Murphy is currently on the Injured List and has already had his starting job taken by Drake Baldwin. However, he does have some power upside and was an All-Star backstop in 2023.
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Is Sean Murphy a Catcher the Yankees Should Target?
GettySEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MAY 04: Sean Murphy #12 of the Atlanta Braves at bat against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 04, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
With the struggles of Austin Wells, the Yankees might want to bring in another catcher to use as a platoon option.
Other than perhaps Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, there aren’t too many options on the trading block for now, but Sean Murphy is a name that the Braves may want to get rid of.
Trading for Murphy (even though he’s on a pretty lucrative contract) would not cost the Yankees much in terms of capital. Murphy is currently on the Injured List, but it’s not considered to be a serious injury.
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Austin Wells This Season…
GettyTAMPA, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 17: Austin Wells #28 of the New York Yankees poses for a photo during New York Yankees Photo Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 17, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Over 108 at-bats this season, Austin Wells is hitting just .176 with three home runs and an OPS+ of 60. The idea of this trade proposal isn’t that Sean Murphy takes over as the starter, but Wells has a very hard time hitting left-handed pitching, and that means the Yankees should try to bring a right-handed-hitting catcher to fill that space if needed.
It’s unclear why the power from Austin Wells is down. His left-handed swing should help produce home runs in Yankee Stadium, as he hit 21 last season in 126 games, and really made his case clear for one of the better-hitting catchers in the sport.
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Will the Yankees Add Another Catcher?
Even if the Yankees don’t consider trading for Sean Murphy, they should keep their eyes peeled for which catchers are playing well on bad teams and see if they can complete a deal before the August trade deadline.
A lot of teams don’t really demand offensive production from catchers, as it’s a taxing defensive position, but having a catcher who can hit adds another layer of depth to a lineup, and the Yankees lack that depth right now.
Surely more trade candidates should emerge in the next month or so, but regardless, it’s a position group the Yankees could add to.
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