Yankees facing 1 huge question after All-Star break

The New York Yankees are currently sitting in second place in the AL East. The team came out of a prolonged slump right before the All-Star break. After losing 14 of 18 games, the squad won their last four in a row. Still, the Yankees have been riddled with injuries all year, including injuries to Aaron Judge, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodon.

The health of the team is going to be one of the questions they have to answer in the second half of the season. Max Fried should be returning soon, as he is nearing the start of his rehab assignment. Meanwhile, Rodon, Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton are expected to return near the MLB trade deadline.

The Yankees also need to address the Anthony Volpe situation. Volpe spent time in the minors this year and has not been great in his return to the majors. He is hitting .246 but has struck out 36 times in just 138 at-bats. Further, he has just 13 RBIs. Volpe has also struggled on defense this year, with a 0.4 defensive WAR so far this year. Still, the biggest question the Yankees need to address is behind the plate.

Will the Yankees replace Austin Wells?

It is no secret that Austin Wells has been dreadful this year for the Yankees. He has never been a stud bat for the Yankees, hitting just .219 last year. Still, he had 21 homers and 71 RBIs in his 126 games. This year, he has been a liability at the plate. Well is hitting just .155 this year, with a .247 on-base percentage. Further, he has just six home runs and 13 RBIs. Among catchers with over 100 plate appearances this year, Wells has the third-worst batting average, only behind Drew Romo of the Chicago White Sox and Freddy Fermin of the San Diego Padres. Further, he has the tenth-highest strikeout rate among catchers with over 100 plate appearances.

In June, the Yankees could have sent just about anybody to the plate and gotten better results than they got with Wells. He was just two for 33 at the plate, good for a .061 batting average. He also did not draw a walk, while having three RBIs and 11 strikeouts. If Wells was elite behind the plate on the defensive side of things, maybe it would be excusable to keep him in the lineup, but he has been just above average.

The Yankees have made some big moves at the deadline in the past, such as bringing in Ryan McMahon in 2025, Jazz Chisholm Jr in 2024, and Anthony Rizzo in 2021. This year, they need to trade for a catcher.