MLB Rumors: Cardinals trade conflict, Reds distraction, Yankees answer
By Scott Rogust
Yankees’ trade deadline question could be answered from within
The New York Yankees‘ roster construction by general manager Brian Cashman had come into question in recent years. Of course, that has now been highlighted with star outfielder Aaron Judge out since June with a torn ligament in his right big toe, with no firm timetable for a return. The Yankees’ bats have struggled, resulting in the firing of hitting coach Dillon Lawson and bringing in Sean Casey from MLB Network to replace him. But, a new hitting coach wasn’t going to result in an immediate success rate.
On Sunday, the Yankees lost 8-7 to the Colorado Rockies in extra innings to not just lose the game, but also the series. Losing to a team with the worst record in the National League should be a wake-up call and cause the team to be more urgent.
Even though the team has stressed that they have a championship-caliber roster, their trade deadline plans say otherwise.
According to MLB Network insider Mark Feinsand, the Yankees are not only looking for a corner outfielder at the Aug. 1 deadline, but also looking to upgrade catching, starting pitching, and the back end of the bullpen.
It has been well documented that the Yankees are seeking corner outfield help by the Trade Deadline, but according to sources, New York is also seeking to upgrade its catching, starting rotation and back end of the bullpen in the next two weeks.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 17, 2023
The Yankees’ reported interest in catching help isn’t totally out of the question, considering Jose Trevino and Kyle Higashioka have been unable to produce at the plate. But, the Yankees do have an internal option to address this need — prospect Austin Wells.
Back in 2020, the Yankees selected Wells in the first round out of the University of Arizona. He is currently the team’s second-best prospect in the farm system behind outfielder and fellow Double-A Somerset teammate Jasson Dominguez. But, he is most known for helping Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe fix his batting stance over chicken parmigiana dinner which, resulted in success. Putting that aside, Wells is showing that he is major-league-ready.
In 55 games with Somerset this season, Wells recorded a .247 batting average, a .335 on-base percentage, a .465 slugging percentage, 11 home runs, 27 runs scored, 50 RBI, 53 hits, 56 strikeouts, and 29 walks in 215 at-bats. Behind the plate, Wells posted a .980 fielding percentage while recording 378 putouts, 13 assists, and eight errors on 399 total chances.
At this stage, if the Yankees are unable to find a better-hitting catcher on the trade market, they shouldn’t force the issue. Call up Wells and see what he can do.
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