Yankees Have a Bigger Infield Need Than Catcher Right Now as Trade Deadline Approaches

The Yankees' have a worse infield situation than catcher right now.

A catcher upgrade would help Yankees manager Aaron Boone; however, that isn't the club's biggest infield need before the MLB trade deadline. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Catcher is often the position thrown around as a must-have for the Yankees before August's MLB trade deadline. You can understand that, since Austin Wells is one of the worst everyday hitters in baseball. His wRC+ of 49 ranks 269th out of 274 batters with at least 150 plate appearances this year.

The thing with catchers is that they're bad all around baseball. It's notoriously a black hole for most teams, and few have a catcher who is hitting at least league average. Only nine teams have a catcher with a wRC+ over 100. Across the league, catchers have a combined 89 wRC+.

For catchers, it's less about the offense and what they bring defensively. Wells is one of the better framers in the league.

He has a 93rd-percentile four-framing runs saved, per Baseball Savant, putting him at the top of the league in that category. Not to mention that he has been behind the plate, guiding an ailing rotation that has never seen both Max Fried and Gerrit Cole pitch at the same time.

Austin Wells has been instrumental in the Yankees' pitching success this season, even if his offense hasn't been at its best. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Yankees still have the third-best ERA in baseball, though. Their 3.29 starter ERA is behind the Dodgers (3.25) and the Brewers (3.23). The margin between the three of them is razor-thin, and Wells should get some credit since he has been behind the dish for the majority of these starts.

That's why, instead of seeking a catcher upgrade before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, the Yankees should prioritize another position in the coming weeks.

Upgrading third base

It's when you look at where the Yankees are ranked at third base that it's clear that this is the position that needs help, in terms of having a blend of offense and defense. Seventeen teams have options at third base with a wRC+ over 100. The Yankees are technically ranked second, with their third baseman having a combined 113 wRC+.

Defensively, that's when things get bad. The Yankees' minus-1 OAA at third is ranked 16th. Their minus-6 DRS at the position is ranked 24th.

Ryan McMahon has been their primary third baseman, but, like with Wells, he's probably one of the worst everyday players offensively. He has a 75 wRC+ and has really never hit after being traded to New York.

In fact, McMahon is looking at his worst season in the big leagues. The only season he was worse was in 2020, and that was the pandemic-shortened year.

On top of that, McMahon has seen a regression on defense. While still better than any other option on the roster, he has a 3 OAA and minus-2 DRS. He's coming off back-to-back years with a 7 OAA and 10 DRS.

Yankees 3B Ryan McMahon's defense isn't what it used to be. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The alternative to McMahon is Amed Rosario. Rosario is the opposite of McMahon, where his bat is fine, but his defense is awful. Rosario has a 106 wRC+ this year, with a -4 OAA and -4 DRS at third.

McMahon's bad defense was on display against the Red Sox. An inning-ending double play in the fifth inning to get Cam Schlittler out of a bind went through Rosario's legs. Right after that, former Yankee prospect Caleb Durbin hit a three-run blast, effectively putting the game on ice.

Jose Caballero could be another option. He has a 104 wRC+ but a 0 OAA and DRS at third this year. In his career, he has 5 OAA and 4 DRS. Still, his value is better suited at shortstop, and who knows how long Anthony Volpe will be playing that position?

Yankee version of Martin Maldonado

Austin Wells has given next to nothing, but if the Yankees upgrade the infield around him, you can live with a catcher that can't hit. Look at the Astros. They went to the World Series in both years, and Martín Maldonado had a 66 wRC+ in 808 plate appearances.

Here was this 35-year-old catcher giving next to nothing offensively, and they still managed to snag a World Series ring in 2022. Unfortunately, Wells' comp at this point is Maldonado, but it's just proof that you can win with a bad catcher, further indicating that a 3B upgrade must be the Yankees' MLB trade deadline priority.