Two reasons why $6.7 million Twins catcher is perfect fit for Yankees
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Two reasons why $6.7 million Twins catcher is perfect fit for Yankees originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
As the 2026 MLB trade deadline nears, the New York Yankees are a club looking to improve a few positions across the roster. But one sticks out like a sore thumb.
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That position is the catcher spot. Their offensive production, from Austin Wells and others, has been dismal at-best. The Yankees need to find a catcher, and there's one who's a great fit.
As MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan pointed out, the Yankees have two reasons why they're the perfect fit in a trade for $6.7 million Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers this summer.
Two reasons why Ryan Jeffers is a perfect fit for Yankees
"A pending free agent, Jeffers isn't known as a strong defender, but his bat could be of interest to a team with good defense but weak offense behind the plate (like, say, the Yankees)," Harrigan writes.
The defense behind the plate isn't an issue for the Yankees this season; it's just the offensive production from their catcher group.
Wells has regressed, is hitting .160 with a .510 OPS, and their other options aren't trustworthy enough for a World Series run.
That's why Jeffers is their best option to trade for by far this summer. There are two clear reasons why that's the case for the Yankees.
One reason why is that his lackluster defense won't hurt the Yankees with good defensive options on the roster currently. The other, more important reason is the offensive upgrade he'd bring to the team.
MORE: Yankees want to trade for Twins’ Ryan Jeffers by MLB deadline
Jeffers has a .295 batting average with seven homers and 36 hits in 122 at-bats this season. His .949 OPS is one of the highest marks in the league for hitters with at least 100 at-bats this season.
While he might be on the injured list currently, Jeffers should return before the trade deadline. If and when he does, as long as he looks good enough offensively, there should be little hesitation for the Yankees to trade for him this season.
This fit makes way too much sense, and it's been a pairing that's been talked about for much of the season so far. But, for good reason. Jeffers to the Yankees makes sense, and the Twins are likely to trade him this summer as well.
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