Yankees' Catcher Trade Outlook Takes a Hit as All-Star Break Begins (Who Are Their Backup Plans?)

It's back to the drawing board.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman might need to rethink his plans if he hopes to upgrade his club's catcher situation before the MLB trade deadline on Monday, Aug. 3. | USA TODAY Sports

The Yankees are temporarily in limbo now that the season has been paused for the 2026 MLB All-Star Break. Through the highs and lows so far, Aaron Boone's club enters the break three games behind the Rays for the American League East lead. In other words, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has some serious moves to make if he wants to close the gap and overtake the divisional rivals once the action resumes.

Finding a catcher upgrade to help turn the page on Austin Wells is one move that Yankees fans want Cashman to make before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Although landing Adley Rutschman from the rival Orioles might be too much of a pipe dream, some fans held out hope that New York could finagle a deal for another game-changing catcher (who'd, hopefully, be right-handed), such as the Twins' Ryan Jeffers or the Rockies' Hunter Goodman.

Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman is the type of player who'd instantly improve the Yankees' situation behind home plate. Unfortunately... | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But with three weeks to go until the trade deadline, USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale splashed some cold water on any hopes of landing the fan base's top dream targets.

"The Rockies plan to keep Goodman, who has the second-most homers in the NL behind Kyle Schwarber," Nightengale wrote on Sunday. "The Twins have no interest in trading Jeffers unless they fall out of the mediocre AL Central race, hanging just (two) games back."

Latest Hunter Goodman, Ryan Jeffers trade rumors could force Yankees to pivot catcher plans

The latest updates regarding Goodman and Jeffers' potential availability are disappointing, to say the least. At the same time, it isn't too surprising that the Yankees might not have the opportunity to trade for either catcher.

When it comes to the Rockies' reluctance to trade Goodman, a lot of it likely stems from his being only 26 years old and amassing 58 home runs, 142 RBIs and a .269/.324/.527 slash line since the start of the 2025 campaign. Additionally, he's under team control until 2030, meaning Colorado can take its time and wait for the perfect package for Goodman if the front office is open to a trade.

Jeffers—batting .292 with seven HRs and a .942 OPS in 39 games—will be a free agent this winter, so his future is murkier. Having said that, the Twins enter the break three games behind the White Sox for the AL Central lead, making it easy to see why they aren't ready to enter seller mode just yet. Seven of Minnesota's next 13 games are against division rivals, so any potential fire sale likely won't be expected until after then.

It might be a few weeks before the Twins decide if they're willing to trade Ryan Jeffers or not. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Either right-handed catcher would be an upgrade over Wells, who has been an offensive black hole all season. Unfortunately, Jeffers and Goodman appear to be off the menu as potential solutions. Even if they aren't, the Yankees would likely have to test their patience or overpay to trade for them, respectively.

With that being said, the pair aren't the only catchers whom Cashman & Co. can target before next month's trade deadline. Other options—albeit with less upside—should be available to help the Yankees finally turn the corner behind home plate.

Jonah Heim, Athletics

He isn't the biggest name, but Jonah Heim would be another upgrade over Wells. The 31-year-old switch-hitter is one home run shy of a sixth straight campaign with double-digit HRs—a stretch where he's batted .226 with 77 total round-trippers. He's played 51 games between the Athletics and Braves so far this season, tallying nine HRs and 28 RBIs with the second-best batting average (.232) and OPS (.740) of his seven-year career.

Jonah Heim - Athletics (7) pic.twitter.com/YldLqfhPvq

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) June 28, 2026

With the A's sitting 14 games under .500, trading Heim—who's a free agent this winter—will likely be in their plans. His age and contract status mean the Yankees wouldn't have to overpay to bring him to the Bronx, potentially saving their top prospects for a bigger splash.

Kyle Higashioka, Rangers

The Rangers are the current AL West leaders; however, that doesn't mean they won't be open to moving off certain veterans, such as ex-Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka. With Danny Jansen returning from the injured list soon and Elías Díaz proving himself to be the better backup, Texas doesn't exactly need Higashioka.

At the same time, the Yankees do. His 2026 performance isn't wowing anyone, but Higashioka showed signs of life, batting .308 with a 1.077 OPS, two solo HRs and 10 total bases in his last five games (13 at-bats) before the MLB All-Star Break. It's a small sample size, but that's more encouraging than most of Wells's brief hot streaks this season.

Higashioka's $7 million mutual option would also allow the Yankees to part ways if they don't like what they see down the stretch and into the playoffs, making it a potential rental deal, too. That makes a reunion less risky, giving another reason why New York should keep Higashioka on the radar.

Victor Caratini, Twins

Jeffers isn't the only Twins catcher who might interest the Yankees.

Victor Caratini's performance during Ryan Jeffers's absence could have the Yankees' attention. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Victor Caratini is in the middle of his first season with Minnesota and was thrust into a bigger role once Jeffers hit the IL in May. The 32-year-old Puerto Rican backstop rose to the occasion rather than crumble and now sits at seven HRs, 35 RBIs, 26 walks and a .240/.333/.371 slash line across 70 games (221 ABs). His plus-3 catcher framing runs are tied for the 11th-best among 61 catchers this season, per Baseball Savant.

Beyond the fact that the Twins are still in playoff contention, a potential trade for Caratini could still cost the Yankees some decent prospects. After all, he's under contract at an affordable $6.5 million for the 2027 season, along with a $12 million mutual option in 2028. That's certainly a price increase, but well worth it for a solid pitch framer who's on pace for 16 HRs and 81 RBIs in 162 games at his current rate this season.

If the Twins are headstrong on keeping Jeffers but open to moving Caratini, the least the Yankees can do is give them a call.