The New York Yankees are actively evaluating trade opportunities to acquire a right-handed hitting catcher due to the severe offensive regression of rookie backstop Austin Wells during the 2026 MLB season.
According to reports from si. com, sportingnews.
com, and roundtable. io, Wells has struggled significantly at the plate, posting a .
165 batting average with a . 539 OPS and 32 strikeouts in 110 at-bats.
Backup catcher J. C.
Escarra has failed to provide relief, hitting just . 157, leaving the Yankees with minimal offensive production from the position.
Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman has shown heightened urgency this season by promoting prospect Spencer Jones and making aggressive roster adjustments.
Analysts suggest the team cannot sustain sub-Mendoza line production from multiple starting spots if they intend to contend for the World Series, especially with 34-year-old Aaron Judge facing a potential decline.
Journalist Chris Landers predicted an imminent change behind the plate for New York, noting the multi-faceted regression of the young catcher.
"As a long-time Wells defender, this one stings.
But at this point, the facts are undeniable: Not only has Wells' bat regressed badly (he's slugging just .
264 right now), but so has his typically strong defense, especially his ability to call games and put pitchers in the best possible position for success," Landers wrote for Sporting News.
"There are no easy answers here; no, the Yankees will not and should not throw Ben Rice behind the plate and risk injury to their second most valuable hitter.
But JC Escarra should at the very least see more playing time moving forward, and adding a righty catcher on the margins could make sense as well."
Potential Trade Targets
Several potential targets have emerged for the Yankees ahead of the summer trade deadline, including external options from both the American and National Leagues.
Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler, who won a Gold Glove last year, is highlighted by Empire Sports Media as a primary candidate.
Dingler is currently hitting .
241 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs, though Detroit holds club control over him through 2030 and has no immediate pressure to trade him.
Another viable target is Houston Astros veteran Christian Vázquez, who is slashing . 247/.
316/. 393 in 31 games.
Because Houston is 11 games under .
500 as of Thursday afternoon and Vázquez enters free agency this winter, a low-to-mid-grade prospect could be enough to secure the two-time World Series champion.
Additionally, the Yankees could target Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman or Chicago Cubs backstop Miguel Amaya.
Goodman hit 31 home runs last season, while Amaya remains under team control until 2030 and has shown recent signs of improvement at the plate with a .
294 average over his last six games.
