The New York Yankees seem to have plenty of success at catcher. So much so, that they not only have found multiple for themselves but have helped other teams add a valuable piece to their roster. And if their recent-success in developing catchers gives any indication of what's to come, they could have more deals up their sleeve.
MLB insider and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal is urging MLB teams who need a boost at the catcher position to call New York, because chances are, the Yankees have someone who can help.
"Quality catchers are generally in short supply. But the New York Yankees keep churning ‘em out," Rosenthal writes.
"... The group starts with the Yankees’ current catchers, Austin Wells and rookie J.C. Escarra. It includes two other rookies — Narváez, who went to the Red Sox for righty Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, and Agustín Ramírez, who went to the Miami Marlins as part of the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade," he adds.
"Rounding out the list are three veterans: the Cincinnati Reds’ Jose Trevino, who brought back reliever Fernando Cruz in a trade; the Tampa Bay Rays’ Ben Rortvedt, who was part of a three-team deal for Jon Berti; and New York Mets’ Luis Torrens, who was traded for cash."
New York's ability to grow the position and then for those players to succeed outside the organization feel like a recipe other teams will want to grab onto. So, with the trade deadline still ahead, teams may be picking up the phone to see who the Yankees have left.
With a short list of superstar catchers in the league, though, the position doesn't come cheap. As past trades show, any team trying to trade with the Yankees will need to cough up a pretty trade package to acquire a catcher.
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