Just-DFA'd Catcher Should Have the Yankees' Interest as Austin Wells Remains Injured

Given the catcher situation this season, New York has every reason to roll the dice.

With Austin Wells sidelined due to a neck injury, the Yankees have every reason to roll the dice on a potentially available catcher. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Yankees are without their starting catcher, and it'll remain that way for the foreseeable future.

Austin Wells hasn't played since June 5 due to a neck injury that landed him on the 10-day injured list. Even though his bat has left much to be desired this season, Wells has been the ultimate pitch-caller this season, and the last thing the Yankees—who have plenty of World Series aspirations—need is to be stuck with J.C. Escarra and Ali Sánchez as the primary catching options for the long haul.

Although the Yankees could use the trade market to add a superstar catcher, they might not want to sell off their future to make a deal. That's why they might be interested in the fact that the rival Blue Jays just designated veteran catcher Tyler Heineman for assignment, according to Sportsnet's Hazel Mae.

The move was to make room for Alejandro Kirk, who has been on the Blue Jays' IL since early April.

Tyler Heineman DFA’d
Daulton Varsho (wrist) placed on IL

Alejandro Kirk reinstated, Davis Schneider up with the big club

Yariel Rodriguez cleared waivers

— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) June 12, 2026

Heineman might not have the track record or name value like Adley Rutschman or Ryan Jeffers, but he's solid enough to warrant consideration from the Yankees, who need all the catching help they can get.

All statistics used are as of Friday, June 12.

Yankees should roll the dice on Tyler Heineman after Blue Jays DFA

It's safe to say that the Yankees' offensive production from the catcher position has been next to nonexistent this season.

Wells was slashing .166/.278/.255 with four home runs and seven RBIs in 47 games before his injury—a far cry from his 21-HR, 71-RBI performance in 2025. Escarra has somehow looked even worse with a .162 batting average and .452 OPS across 25 home run-less appearances, and was even optioned to Triple-A last week until he was promptly recalled when Wells hit the IL. As for Sánchez, it's a small sample size, but his four strikeouts without a hit through seven at-bats is far from encouraging.

In other words, the Yankees have nothing to lose by taking a swing on Heineman, who isn't the worst option that manager Aaron Boone & Co. could throw behind home plate. New York can try to trade for him or claim him off waivers, or wait until seven days to sign him as a free agent (assuming that he rejects his outright assignment).

He's not perfect, but Tyler Heineman could help the Yankees address their ongoing catcher woes. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Heineman, 34, started the 2026 strong, batting .304 with a .360 on-base percentage as he tallied seven hits, a walk and an RBI in his first 12 games (23 at-bats). The hot start was short-lived, as he went on to record only two hits and as many RBIs in the 15 games (40 ABs) after that. With that being said, Heineman was turning things around before his DFA notice, having slugged .467 with a .761 OPS, one home run, three RBIs, and a walk in his last six games (15 ABs).

And even though he isn't a household name, Heineman knows how to foster chemistry with his pitchers. The Pacific Palisades, CA native sits at plus-4 catcher framing runs on Baseball Savant, which is fourth in the majors, only trailing the Blue Jays' Brandon Valenzuela, the Orioles' Rutschman and the Tigers' Dillon Dingler. Wells currently ranks sixth, further proving how good Heineman has been.

Heineman isn't a long-term solution at catcher, but he'd at least be a potential improvement over the Yankees' current catcher situation. The Wells-Escarra-Sánchez trio has too many offensive red flags to trust down that stretch, meaning all options should be on the table until the Bronx Bombers find a legitimate difference-making starter—whether that comes from a trade deadline splash, waiting until the offseason or even trying Ben Rice behind home plate.

Until that happens, the Yankees have nothing to lose by giving Heineman a chance after his split from Toronto. Doing so would not only allow New York to capitalize on an AL East rival's potential mistake, but also temporarily address an issue that's plagued Boone's squad throughout the season.

That alone makes his situation one worth monitoring in the coming days.