Yankees should keep eye on Twins' Ryan Jeffers as trade season approaches

The MLB trade deadline isn’t until 6:00 p.m. ET on Aug. 3; however, it’s never too early to start shopping around. At this point in the season, teams are in wait-and-see mode, stalking the market before they start to kick the tires on a few intriguing names.

One such name that is bound to come up is catcher Ryan Jeffers. The rising backstop is in the last season of his contract with the Minnesota Twins. Jeffers hit .266/.356/.397 with nine home runs last year. His power seemingly vanished after hitting 21 home runs in 412 at-bats during his 2024 campaign, but this season, Jeffers has balanced hitting for average and power, slashing .294/.410/.538 with seven home runs.

Jeffers’s success at the plate stems from contact hitting and drawing walks, resulting in high on-base percentages and low strikeout rates. These strong points, plus his occasional power, will make him a coveted target at the trade deadline. And with the Twins sitting five games below .500, it would be safe to assume that general managers of hopeful contending teams are waiting to pounce. But of many hopefuls, there is one team with a clear need for a new backstop.

Austin Wells may be on borrowed time with the Yankees 

The New York Yankees had a rather uninspiring offseason, earning themselves the criticism of “running it back.” For a championship team, this might be acceptable, but this is not a distinction the Yankees have earned. The Yankees are a good team, but there are worrying signs. To name three: The Yankees have lost eight of their last 11 games, have a 1-8 record against teams above .500, and their team batting average is at .235. This, combined with their frequent inability to score runs with the bases loaded, suggests they have trouble recording hits when they absolutely need to.

At the forefront of their offensive woes is backstop Austin Wells. Though he has promise as a left-handed power bat, Wells has yet to have a breakthrough moment at the plate since he arrived in 2023. The Yankee catcher hit .219/.275/.436 with 21 home runs last year. This year, his production has slowed to .173/.292/.264 with three long balls. His double play ball that ended the Yankees’ extra-inning threat in Sunday’s loss to the New York Mets was just the latest example of coming up short in big situations.

As reported by Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Manager Aaron Boone recently addressed Well’s slump, saying he feels that Wells is “capable of more.” But how long can the Yankees wait for Wells to produce more?

In games where one hit can make all the difference, the likes of which the Yankees have seen many times this season (including four one-run losses in the past eight games), Wells doesn’t represent the team’s best chance of scoring vital runs. 

On the other hand, a contact hitter like Jeffers would offer the Bombers a much better chance in these situations. If the Yankees are intent on a deep postseason run, they can’t ignore an upgrade behind the plate should Wells not improve before the deadline, and there might not be a better option than Jeffers.