Yankees' Rival Is in Perfect Position for a Trade to Help Solve Catcher Crisis

Yankees catchers have the second-worst batting average in the American League. That has general manager Brian Cashman shopping the trade market.

The Yankees could strike a deal with a certain rival who could send much-needed catching help to the Bronx. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. That's the mindset Yankees general manager Brian Cashman must adopt ahead of the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline.

Look, it's no secret the Yankees catchers have underperformed this year. The trio of Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra and Ali Sánchez—who just suffered a wrist injury—has combined for the second-worst batting average by American League catchers.

Much of the trade buzz has the Yankees targeting Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers. But he's on the injured list and not expected to return until next month.

But New York cannot afford to wait until then. Wells just came off the injured list and Sánchez is banged up. On top of that, none of the Yankees' top 30 prospects play catcher, so there's no immediate help down on the farm.

Ryan Jeffers would be an upgrade at catcher for the Yankees, but they can't afford to wait for him to be healthy. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Yankees enter play Wednesday with a three-game lead over the Rays in the American League East standings. If New York wants to hold off the Tampa down the stretch, then Cashman should be placing a call to the Red Sox's Craig Breslow, the chief baseball officer of the Yankees' blood rivals.

Beantown collecting backstops, New York should be interested

On the flip side, the Red Sox are collecting catchers like it's going out of style. MassLive's Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo reported on Tuesday that Boston signed catcher Andrew Knizner to a minor-league deal. The 31-year-old Knizner is a veteran of seven MLB seasons and backed up future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina in St. Louis.

"The (Triple-A Worcester Red Sox) had three other catchers on their roster prior to the arrival of Knizner: Jason Delay, Matt Thaiss and Nathan Hickey," McAdam and Cotillo wrote. "Both Delay and Thaiss have major league experience, while Hickey has mostly been utilized at first base and at DH. The WooSox also have catcher Juan Montero on their development list, where he was moved after the Knizner signing."

So what, you ask? Who cares about some Triple-A catchers? Well, here's why: the Red Sox are already carrying three catchers on their big-league roster.

The Red Sox's catcher room is becoming crowded. The Yankees should pay close attention to the situation to take advantage of it. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

"Carlos Narváez began the year as the team’s No. 1 catcher, opened the door for Connor Wong to claim more playing time," McAdam and Cotillo reported. "More recently,  but after a strong start upon his call up from Worcester, (Mickey) Gasper, too, has cooled at the plate."

"With three catchers on the big-league roster—Carlos Narváez, Connor Wong and Mickey Gasper—Boston’s surplus is drawing interest. The Red Sox are shopping Wong in particular, according to a league source," The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey reported earlier this month.

Yankees should target Narvaez

The last-place Red Sox could be facing a fire sale of epic proportions, with right-hander Sonny Gray, first baseman Willson Contreras and closer Aroldis Chapman all generating trade buzz. But Cashman would be wise to pry Narváez away from Boston.

Would the Red Sox actually consider trading a catcher to their rivals? It's not such a silly question to ponder, because all you have to do is flash back to December 2024, when New York traded Narváez to Boston.

The 27-year-old Narváez flourished in his first season in Beantown, finishing sixth in voting for the AL Rookie of the Year Award after hitting .241 with 15 home runs, 50 RBIs and a .726 OPS, while drawing rave reviews for his work behind the plate.

But Narváez has fallen out of favor this year in Boston, batting just .197 in 44 games while watching Gasper and Wong see increased workloads.

Carlos Narváez's slow season could work in the Yankees' favor if they're looking to trade for him. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Narváez, who signed with the Yankees as an international free agent in 2015, isn't eligible for arbitration until 2028 and is making just $800,000 this season, according to Spotrac. Given his (lack of) performance this season, it shouldn't take a top-rated prospect to get the struggling catcher back to the Bronx.

Is Narváez as sexy as someone like Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman? Certainly not, but trading for one of the Red Sox's catchers is a low-cost, high-reward move that could give the Yankees stability behind the plate for the stretch run.