The New York Yankees are expected to shop around for help at catcher before next month’s trade deadline, adding some offensive production to a position group that has otherwise struggled throughout the season.
ESPN’s Jorge Castillo identified some logical upgrades for the Yankees, including an All-Star from the league’s last-placed team.
“The Yankees need a catcher. With Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra and Ali Sanchez, Yankees catchers rank last in baseball in OPS and wRC+,” Castillo wrote. “It is the most glaring weakness on the roster. There are two obvious potential upgrades via trade: Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins and Hunter Goodman, the Colorado Rockies’ lone All-Star.”
Yankees Not Rushing on Hunter Goodman
Mike Asixa of CBS Sports suggested that Goodman would be a “huge upgrade” for the Yankees at catcher, but reported that they have yet to express any formal interest in him.
“The Yankees have shown interest in Rockies All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman in the past, reports ESPN,” Axisa wrote. “The two teams have not spoken recently, however. New York’s catchers have been simply dreadful this season. They rank 29th in batting average (.175) and on-base percentage (.250), 30th in slugging percentage (.269), and 26th with 0.2 WAR.”
The 26-year-old could add significant pop to the Yankees’ lineup, Axisa suggested. He leads the MLB at his position with 27 home runs and has been stronger on the road than in the hitter-friendly Coors Field.
“On the downside, he does not rate well defensively and has one of the highest strikeout rates in baseball,” Axisa wrote. “Still, Goodman would be a huge upgrade for the Yankees, and he’ll remain under team control through 2029.”
Yankees Could Consider Other Targets at Catcher
The Yankees could be taking a careful approach to pursuing Goodman, with close to two weeks left before the trade deadline and other potential additions on the market. Former MLB player turned analyst Trevor Plouffe suggested the team could instead land Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno.
Plouffe put off rumors that the Yankees would go after Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, saying Moreno would be a more logical target for the Bronx Bombers.
âI just donât think itâs (Jeffers to the Yankees) going to happen,â Plouffe said on Talkinâ Baseball. âI do think the Yankees have a ton to give up, high minor-league players ready to make the jump. This guy has control, this year plus two more. Catcher from the Snakes, Gabriel Moreno, goes to the Yankees.
âI think they can go out and get this guy. They have a bit of a logjam at the top there. The Diamondbacks would want major league-ready talent, and the Yankees can give them that. This is the solution for a couple of years; this lines up with Judge and that whole window. Heâd be a hell of a New York Yankee.â
While the Yankees also have other needs across the lineup and in the pitching staff, many insiders believe catcher is the biggest area of need. The position’s struggles have been exacerbated by the absence of slugger Aaron Judge, who is expected to miss several more weeks as he recovers from a rib injury.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Yankees Trade Rumors: Team Gets Update on ‘Huge Upgrade’ at Catcher appeared first on HEAVY.