Now just to be clear. Cashman never said Mitch Garver was the solution. That is how I am interpreting it. Don't get sensitive.
The Yankees just refuse to solve the catcher problem.
At some point you have to stop pretending this is all part of some grand plan. Brian Cashman knows Austin Wells has been a disaster. The organization knows it. The fans know it. You don't go shopping for catchers in August unless you're trying to put a Band-Aid over a bullet hole.
So what's the latest solution?
The Yankees signed veteran catcher Mitch Garver to a minor league contract.
That's it. Not a frontline catcher. Not someone who changes the lineup. Not someone who forces his way onto the major league roster. A Triple-A insurance policy.
Garver opened the season as Seattle's backup catcher before hitting just .175 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. The Mariners cut him loose on August 4. That's the player the Yankees are now hoping can somehow provide depth. If that sounds underwhelming, that's because it is. But here's what makes this even more frustrating. Just days ago, Brian Cashman insisted there wasn't a realistic opportunity to improve behind the plate at the trade deadline. That explanation never passed the smell test, and it looks even worse now.
The Red Sox managed to land Adley Rutschman in the blockbuster move of the deadline. The Rays found a controllable upgrade by acquiring Liam Hicks from Miami. Two division rivals recognized a glaring weakness and actually addressed it.
The Yankees? They watched. Now they're digging through the bargain bin hoping Mitch Garver has something left. This isn't roster building. It's damage control.
It's another example of Cashman trying to convince everyone that there was "nothing available," only to turn around a few days later and sign a catcher who had just been released. If there truly weren't any upgrades, why is the organization suddenly scrambling for catching depth?
Because they know they have a problem. The Garver signing doesn't fix anything. It simply adds another name to a growing collection of mediocre catching options while avoiding the one thing that actually needed to happen: acquiring a legitimate everyday catcher when the market was open.
Instead, Boston got better and are right on our heels. Tampa Bay got better and they're in first place.
The Yankees got... Mitch Garver.
If that's the response to one of the club's biggest weaknesses, don't expect anyone to confuse it with urgency. It's just another reminder that when the Yankees had a chance to solve the problem, Brian Cashman blinked—and now everyone else is paying for it.
