Yankees’ Hidden Offseason Plan Finally Revealed

According to ESPN's Jorge Castillo, the Yankees are reportedly looking for a right-handed catcher (as well as a right-handed first baseman) to bring much-needed balance to their current lineup. This raises questions about their confidence in current catcher Austin Wells, and rightfully so.

Wells is an excellent catcher and one of the league's best at pitch framing. On the other hand, his offensive numbers in 2025 were very weak, and with the advent of the ABS system in MLB, his pitch-framing abilities won't carry him as far in 2026.

If they want to develop Wells further, which would be appropriate given his age and potential, the Yankees would be better off trying a more reliable batter for this role on a regular basis. Their other current catcher option – utility man Ben Rice – is best suited at first base. The Yankees' front office has stated that they view him as an "everyday role," and that first base is the best position for him. Both Wells and Rice bat left-handed.

The Yankees signed free agent J.J. They could select T. Realmuto, a right-handed-batting catcher who is (likely) nearing the end of his professional career. Realmuto has boasted offensive consistency in his 12 MLB seasons, batting .257/.315/.384 with a .699 OPS in 2025. Wells finished the regular season with a .219/.275/.436 slash line and a .711 OPS. With Wells in the lineup and Realmuto bolstering the lineup, the Yankees may have a solid plan for a longer catcher.
The Yankees weren't listed as favorites to acquire Realmuto on The Athletic's Jim Bowden's list of the top 50 free agents for 2025-26, but they shouldn't be overlooked.

"Age is catching up to Realmuto, who is no longer the All-Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger catcher he was from 2018-22," Bowden wrote. "He still holds his own offensively and defensively, but his power has diminished. Defensively, he’s still good at controlling the running game, ranking in the 99th percentile in pop time and 95th percentile in caught stealing. However, his framing and blocking skills are well below average at this point. In all likelihood, he’ll need to take a significant pay cut from his 2025 salary of $23 million, but catching is always in demand."

Again, the future of catchers with excellent framing skills in the new world of ABS remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: The Yankees need a more balanced offense, and improving at catcher could help them achieve that.