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Yankees Trade Another Catcher to a Division Rival

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 2:04 PM ET

The Yankees traded catcher Alex Jackson to the Orioles on Saturday morning for international bonus pool money and either cash or a player to be named later. It’s the kind of minor move that barely gets noticed. But it says a lot about how the Yankees develop catchers—and why so many of them are thriving somewhere else.

Jackson didn’t come up through the Yankees’ system, but he spent time in it. After coming over from the Reds with Fernando Cruz in the Jose Trevino trade, he got a chance to work with catching coordinator Tanner Swanson, the same catching coach who helped mold Jose Trevino and Kyle Higashioka into major league regulars.

Now, he joins a growing list of former Yankees catchers who are contributing around the league.

Trevino is starting for the Reds.
Higashioka has a steady role in Texas.
Luis Torrens has carved out a nice spot with the Mets. He is hitting .217/.614 OPS, 2 HR, 14 RBI, and has a .630 caught-stealing rate (9 of 21). Of course he is credited with solid framing and a 2.79 catcher ERA, fourth-best among regular backstops
Carlos Narvaez, who made his debut last seasons hitting .274/.787 OPS, with 7 HR and 28 RBI across 67 games for Boston

Even Red Sox manager Alex Cora had to admit it this week on Power Alley: “I hate to admit it, but [the Yankees] are the best at turning out catchers right now.”

Cora’s not wrong.

Swanson was brought in before the 2020 season to try and help Gary Sanchez become a better catcher. He teaches catchers to receive with one knee down on the ground and frame pitches with minimal movement.

He helped turn Trevino into an afterthought into a an All-Star in 2021.

Not every guy sticks in the Bronx, but a lot of them stick somewhere. Jackson may not have cracked the lineup, but like others before him, he leaves more polished than he came in.

Ironically, the Orioles were in need of a catcher because Sanchez is dealing with a knee injury.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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