WELLS CAN'T SIT CAUSE THEIR BACKUP CATCHER SITUATION HAS DWINDLED

He needs to, cause Austin Wells isn’t good. The Yankees front office are a bunch of freaking idiots, aren't they? 

Look, Wells was OK last year and that is really where the story ended. But here we are, watching the Yankees try to sell us on the idea that this is their catcher of the future, while he continues to hit like a guy who should be managing a Shake Shack, not catching for the New York Yankees. No offense to anyone who manages as Shake Shack, you get my point.

And now the Yankees have a real problem. If they want to give Wells a rest—which, let’s be honest, he needs—they can’t. Why? Because they don’t actually have another real catcher on the roster. Tremendous planning. Bravo, Brian Cashman. Boy genius strikes again.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we? In recent seasons, the Yankees traded away Carlos Narváez, Agustín Ramírez, and Rafael Flores—all catchers with potential and actual functioning bats. And now? Now the Yankees are so thin at catcher, if Wells breaks a nail, which he will because he's soft, we might have to resurrect Jorge Posada from a beer league in Miami. 

Wells is already 25 and came into 2025 as a guy that Boone wanted to be a lead off.  That lasted about 2 games in the spring.  What's even a bigger joke is that Yankee projects analytics suggested he could be the next big thing. That had to be a joke, right?  He’s slashing .209/.268/.419 with a .687 OPS. And yes, he has 15 home runs, but that’s like sprinkling powdered sugar on a burnt waffle—it’s not fooling anyone.  Fans see how awful he is. And what's worse, he strikes out a lot, he doesn't walk much. 

I don't want to hear about Wells and his exit velocity... it is not helping him at the plate. His numbers tell the truth.  His 47.3% hard-hit rate DOES NOT MATTER. Why? I'll you why... because again, HIS PRODUCTION NUMBERS TELL THE TRUTH.  He has a better chance stepping on a rake than he does raking to a .250 average.

Now let's talk toughness, cause Austin Wells is no Thurman Munson. He’s not even Barry Foote. Watching Wells behind the plate is like watching a Roomba try to pick off a runner—it’s robotic, awkward, and painful. People gave Gary Sánchez a ton of grief for being clunky behind the dish, but Gary at least gave us some dingers and a little fire. With Wells, we’re just left wondering if he’s sleepwalking or waiting for a timeout that never comes.

Meanwhile, Carlos Narváez—who the Yankees gave away like a pair of old socks—is hitting .252/.323/.415 with a 105 OPS+ for the Red Sox, of all teams. That’s right. The Red Sox have our castoff catcher putting together quality at-bats while our starter is swinging at pitches like he’s trying to swat a mosquito.

And sure, the Yankees always Ben Rice. He’s got a .791 OPS, 16 home runs, and actual plate discipline. But let’s face it—Rice has been stretched thinner than a Boone postgame excuse. He WILL get hurt because he's all over the place. He’s playing everywhere, all the time. Boone uses him like duct tape. Problem is, he can’t be a reliable full-time catcher if he’s never actually catching full-time.

Oh, and remember a month ago when Wells was given a break "for wear and tear"? WEAR AND TEAR? Thurman Munson used to bleed pine tar and chew on foul tips for breakfast. Jorge Posada once caught a 13-inning game with one functioning knee. And Wells? He needs a breather after what, crouching for three days? That's Boone being overprotective and sensitive to Wells feelings. Give me a break, you catch for the New York Yankees. You want to want to be out there every day. 

Bottom line: the Yankees mismanaged the catching situation into oblivion. They got rid of all the decent backups, propped up a struggling starter, and now they’re caught with no safety net. Wells might have the bat speed of a prospect, but his results scream fourth-string backup. And unfortunately for us, there’s no help coming through that clubhouse door.

Yankee fans have gotten robbed this season and there is no end in sight. We are picking everything apart. Why? Because it's clear we don't have a serious franchise. That's the bottom line.

CASHMAN HAS A PLAN FOR THE YANKEE CATCHING SURPLUS

I've been focused on two areas all winter. First, the need for more quality starting pitching and the second is more complex. My second concern is how to "fix" the same lineup from last season that couldn't hit with Juan Soto as the notable exception. I still think about these areas, but right now Brian Cashman is not.

Opening Day will be here before we know it and I am still thinking about the starting rotation and the offense. I know I am not alone, many of you reading this have said the same thing. Brian Cashman on the other hand, he's trying to spin something crazy. 

The Yankees have some roster questions to figure out as Spring Training winds down, read what the New York Post had to say about it HERE. The Yankees have five catchers on the 40-man roster, which is an interesting dilemma to have. The Yankees are familiar with Jose Trevino and Austin Wells has impressed the Yankees both defensively and offensively. I've liked what I've seen from Wells also. But what about the other three?

Agustin Ramirez and Carlos Narvaez need more time but have promise. The Yankees also have Ben Rortvedt and we've talked about him a lot. He's got potential. He was groomed to be a strong defensive catcher, but Wells has looked sharper lately and Rortvedt still needs work. I wasn't impressed to watch Rortvedt check out behind the plate with a ball five feet away from him that allowed two runners to score this weekend. Not a good time to make that kind of error. Pair that with his lack of offensive pop and he's not standing out as an easy add for the Opening Day roster.

So where do the Yankees go from here? Ben Rortvedt may need more time, but he is out of minor league options. So the Yankees either need to take a leap of faith and give him a spot, or expose him to waivers where someone will scoop him up. Cashman of course is trying to take advantage of this scenario and turn into a salesman. Here's what he had to say:

"It's certainly an area of depth. Everybody's actually done a great job showcasing their abilities, not just for us but for others. So clearly a dam is going to break one way or the other toward the end of camp, so we’ll see how we navigate that," said Cashman.

So, Cashman is waiting for someone to pay up for a catcher....and get what out of it? Who knows, but Cashman is definitely trying to drum up more interest than he has right now. His choice of words also makes me laugh at him hysterically.

I do like his dam analogy for something else though....I am sitting, hoping and waiting for his dam of failures to finally break and get washed away from the Yankees. Let Hal Steinbrenner fire him. Let him get carried away to somewhere else far, far away. I know I won't get that lucky though soon enough. 

The Yankees catcher situation will be solved before Cashman goes away. It's unfortunate but, a girl can dream. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj