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.

THREE YANKEE CLOSERS & AN ABSOLUTELY UNSERIOUS FRANCHISE

No one knows what the Yankees are doing. Let's keep it real, we had Luke Weaver as a top, reliable closer last season and he did the job wonderfully. No complaints from any of us, including the Yankees. Weaver was dominant.  And then, because of that, Brian Cashman did what he should have done. He went out and gave away a potentially elite infielder in Caleb Durbin for a closer, because that didn't cause any problems for the Yankees this season, right? No wrong.  It's because of Brian Cashman that the Yankees were a mess in the infield at second base, and there was mass confusion between Luke Weaver and Devin Williams on who was the closer. No one could find consistency; confidence and it was a disaster. And now between those problems, Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt dealing with Tommy John and Luis Gil still on hold, the Yankees did the right thing today. THEY TRADED FOR A CLOSER. By the way, this is all sarcasm. My head's gonna explode.

Like what kind of crack is Brian Cashman smoking right now, because this is a horrendous trade day for the Yankees.  

That's right, the New York Yankees are in the midst of acquiring Pirates close David Bednar, a name that not a single baseball insider had, because baseball insiders knew the Yankees didn't need a closer... until we did. Stupid. As we speak the Yankees and Pirates are reviewing the medical records of the players in the deal. Yankees are to give up catching prospects Rafael Flores and Edgleen Perez, along with outfield prospect Brian Sanchez. Never mind the fact that our future at catcher is .212 Austin Wells, his overall defensive performance as a catcher has been a point of contention. There are major concerns about his arm strength, ability to control the running game, and consistency behind the plate. Additionally, the demanding nature of the position, as it was reported recently suggests his body is taking a beating and it's impacting his hitting, or, at least that is what the Yankees want us to believe.  And so, he, why not give all the catchers away then? Makes sense right? 

Brian Cashman did not do what he said. He didn't go to town. Brian Cashman did not make the Yankees a contender.  Brian Cashman has figured out a way to mask this weird, broken-down team with a bunch of rentals from the Portland Mavericks.  A group of mediocre guys, he hopes can be great to get the Yankees a spot in the wild card, and the hope that the Yankees can win a championship back dooring it with a wild card spot. 

What happened to my Yankees? We are not a serious franchise.  And by the way, if I hear another report about how the Yankees were quote "trying to get Paul Skenes", I'm going to smash the screen. Because trying isn't getting him, and it didn't happen, so shut up.

YANKS CAN'T UNLOAD STROMAN, BUT THE TRADE IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM

The Yankees are stuck in a game of hot potato with Marcus Stroman, except no one seems willing to catch. According to The New York Post’s Joel Sherman, the trade market for Stroman is practically nonexistent, forcing the Yankees into a tough spot. If they want to move him, they may have to swallow a significant chunk of his contract just to make it happen—potentially up to $13 million.

It’s honestly kind of sad. Stroman isn’t a bad pitcher, but baseball is a brutal business. One rough season, and suddenly, you're the guy no team wants to take a chance on. The Yankees have been shopping him since early January but given his $18 million salary for this season and a player option for the same amount in 2026 if he reaches 140 innings, teams just aren’t lining up at the door. Right now, he’s the odd man out in the Yankees’ rotation, and if he stays in the Bronx, his best-case scenario might be as a long reliever. That’s a steep fall for a guy who was once an All-Star.

So, what’s the best way out of this mess? Bleacher Report suggests a deal with the Texas Rangers could be the most logical solution. The proposal?

To Texas: SP Marcus Stroman, C/1B Rafael Flores, cash.

To New York: IF Josh Smith.

For the Yankees, this would finally put an end to the Stroman saga while helping to patch up their infield depth, an area of concern heading into spring training. As for the Rangers, it’s not the worst idea—they're heavily relying on Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle, two talented arms who combined for just 23.1 innings last season due to injuries. Adding Stroman as an insurance policy, especially if the Yankees eat a chunk of his salary, could be a decent low risk move.

The real question is whether this trade—or any trade—actually happens. At this point, unless a team gets desperate for a fifth starter, the Yankees might just have to bite the bullet and keep Stroman around. It's wild to think that a pitcher who once had so much value is suddenly a tough sell, but that's the reality of baseball. One bad season can kill a career, and right now, Stroman is dangerously close to becoming the guy no one wants.