Yankees weigh catcher targets Jeffers, Langeliers, Goodman as deadline nears

Wells owns a 50 wRC+ with six homers in 70 games this season

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Jul 241 min read

What happened: Brian Cashman faces a catcher decision as New York's Aug. 3 trade deadline approaches. Austin Wells has hit for a 50 wRC+ with six home runs and 20 RBI over 70 games, and backups J.C. Escarra and Ali Sanchez have also struggled in limited time behind the plate. New York is weighing a rental upgrade over a longer-term replacement.

Why it matters: The Yankees sit atop the AL Wild Card race and two games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East entering Friday. A stronger everyday bat at catcher could stabilize a lineup for the same Cashman whose trade-deadline record looms over this stretch run, with Aaron Judge set to rejoin the mix.

By the numbers: Ryan Jeffers has played just 44 games this season but carries a 159 wRC+ and a hit streak in every game but one since July 10. Shea Langeliers and Hunter Goodman are under club control through 2029 and 2030, respectively, making either a costlier, longer-term add.

What to watch: Cashman has roughly 10 days to decide between a short-term rental and a franchise catcher before the Aug. 3 deadline.

Sources

Yahoo MLB 2026-07-24T17:14:56.426209+00:00

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MLBAnalysisNew York YankeesAthleticsTampa Bay RaysAaron JudgeAustin Wells

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