Four Free Agent Catchers Yankees Should Pursue to Back Up Austin Wells

After failing to acquire a catcher at the trade deadline in August, the New York Yankees can revisit improvements behind the plate during the offseason.

The Yankees' catching room was a disaster for the first half, as Austin Wells suddenly declined into the worst qualified hitter in baseball while J.C. Escarra and Ali Sanchez contributed next to nothing. Wells noticeably improved in the second half, but Sanchez remained a massive liability both at and behind the plate.

Although Wells' productive finish to the season effectively saved his job, it's become extremely clear that the Yankees cannot rely on him catching every single day. The 27-year-old was behind the plate in 122 of the Bronx Bombers' 161 games this year, marking the second consecutive season he caught that many games.

In contrast, Wells caught 110 games in 2024 and had Jose Trevino as a serviceable backup. He finished as a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year that season.

Austin Wells goes deep to put the Yankees on the board! pic.twitter.com/lITdLIFB8V
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 25, 2026

Wells is not the problem with the Yankees' catching woes: rather, it's the lack of depth behind him. His increased workload over the past two seasons are the result of suboptimal backup catchers, and it's resulted in his offense declining. Even with his solid second half, it's more likely for Wells to sustain that form if he has a much better backup to share some of the load with.

The good news for both Wells and the Yankees is there are 14 catchers hitting free agency this winter, with a majority of them being right-handed hitters as well. Compared to the trade deadline, it should be much easier to find a backstop to platoon with Wells or even share the starting role with him.

Here are the four best options for the Yankees to pursue.

Ryan Jeffers

This one is obvious, especially since the Yankees have been linked to Ryan Jeffers in trade rumors before. Jeffers will be the best available catcher in free agency, and even though he was limited to 92 games with a fractured hamate bone, the 29-year-old had one of his best offensive seasons by hitting .256/.353/.461 with 14 home runs and a 128 wRC+.

Jeffers' defense is still a work in progress, but his framing has improved over the years and having a previous connection with Tanner Swanson, the Yankees' catching coordinator, should help him improve further. Additionally, Jeffers has mashed southpaws in his career to the tune of a .270/.365/.464 slash line, making him a perfect platoon partner with Wells.

Due to Jeffers' experience as a starter, it's very feasible for the Yankees to have him and Wells share the workload over the course of a season. While it may come at the cost of some playing time, Wells would be able to concentrate more on maintaining his hitting prowess and would take less of a beating behind the plate by having Jeffers as a proven option with him.

Carson Kelly

There's no guarantee that Carson Kelly hits the market due to his mutual option with the Chicago Cubs for 2027. However, those kind of options rarely come to fruition due to either the player or team declining it, so the Yankees should expect Kelly to be available and show great interest in him.

An outstanding platoon bat, the 32-year-old veteran hit lefties at a .298/.375/.496 clip and a 143 wRC+. Kelly's defense was also respectable, being especially adept at ABS challenges much like Wells is.

Kelly handled a starter's workload with the Cubs over the past two seasons, so getting him would cut into Wells' playing time. But given his veteran presence and mastery against southpaws, that's a good thing.

Kyle Higashioka

Just like Kelly, Kyle Higashioka has a mutual option for 2027. Yet it wouldn't hurt the Yankees to pursue a reunion with the 36-year-old.

Higgy's familiarity with the organization and Gerrit Cole should make it easy for him to adjust towards handling a new pitching staff. And while he is still a below-average hitter, he's still capable of going yard once in a while; Higashioka registered a .420 slugging percentage in the three seasons since leaving the Bronx.

Compared to Jeffers and Kelly, Higashioka has far less upside and would still leave Wells with the lion's share of catching duties. But having a major league veteran like him is absolutely better than having a minor league journeyman like Ali Sanchez as the backup.

Gary Sanchez

Hear me out: a reunion with Gary Sanchez to back up Wells would be a solid offensive upgrade.

While his defense is still not great, the 33-year-old has been productive with the Milwaukee Brewers this season, largely due to significantly improved plate discipline. In 275 plate appearances, Sanchez has countered a .209 batting average with a .349 on-base percentage, drawing 46 walks and submitting a chase rate of just 23%. The Kraken's trademark power is still there, with nearly half of his hits going for extra bases (including 12 home runs).

Having a right-handed power threat like Sanchez, alongside his improved on-base skills, would make the Yankees' catching tandem significantly more threatening offensively. And even if Sanchez's defense was often a point of contention when he played in New York in the past, he was a starter back then; using him as a backup to Wells gives the Bronx Bombers an option to prioritize either offense or defense in a given game.

Sanchez also has a mutual option for 2027, but that is unlikely to be exercised by the Brewers.

Get Yankees On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google