RUMOR: YANKEES HAVE CHECKED IN ON YET ANOTHER CATCHER

The Yankees just made a trade with the Twins that brought Ben Rortvedt to the Bronx and kicked Gary Sanchez to the curb. Rortvedt was the bet defensive catcher in the Twins system and after Sanchez that's a huge plus. So....why are the Yankees still interested in other catchers?

It's a fair question. I'm not surprised by it but Twitter has been buzzing about it. Even if you overlook that Rortvedt has an oblique injury that Aaron Boone confirms will not be healed by opening day there are other reasons why the Yankees are making calls.

I love that Rortvedt is strong defensively, the Yankees need more of that behind the plate and I hope he develops more and turns into the strong catcher the Yankees believe he will be. He's got a lot of promise, but Rortvedt and Kyle Higashioka are the only catchers on the 40 man roster. After that the Yankees have Rob Brantly and he's not a viable option. The Yankees need depth.

It's also hard to overlook that Rortvedt is only 23 years old, has played in 39 games and has a .169BA. A tandem of Higashioka and Rortvedt is not a safe bet for an entire season. The Yankees need more depth and proven, reliable catcher. The Yankees aren't willing to trade good defense for lackluster offense and they shouldn't. We already know how challenged our offense is, so the Yankees need a catcher who can give some offense.

So that's why the Yankees have checked on Willson Contreras availability with the Cubs, read more HERE. If I were the Cubs, I would wait for an overwhelming offer because when it comes to Contreras, they are in the drivers seat. The Cubs may be in rebuild mode, but their catcher is probably the best piece they have left and he's a pretty damn good catcher. He's a free agent at the end of 2022 and he has been rumored to be on the trading block all winter.

I like the idea of Contreras in pinstripes, it definitely makes us stronger but even if he is available, I don't think the Cubs move him right away. If I were the Cubs I would sit back and wait until summer. If they are far out of the postseason picture then it makes sense to sell to the highest bidder. 

I don't think Contreras will be as affordable as some people think. Yes, he's about to be a free agent BUT he's also a good high in demand catcher and there just isn't a lot of supply out there. I wonder what the Yankees would be willing to give up to get him....

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj