New York Yankees Planning Notable Change for Ben Rice

Ben Rice was one of the most pleasant surprises for the New York Yankees last season, enjoying a breakout campaign and establishing himself as one of the team's top building blocks moving forward.

But there has been one looming question with Rice: his position.

Originally a catcher in the minor leagues, Rice shifted over to first base to accommodate Austin Wells, but that did not stop the Yankees from playing Rice behind the plate quite a bit in 2025.

In fact, Rice made 36 appearances at backstop last year, starting 26 of them. He certainly isn't the greatest defensive catcher in the world, so New York's preference is to clearly keep him at first base ... but what if Wells continues to struggle?

There had been some speculation earlier in the offseason that Rice could ultimately move behind the dish full time if Wells didn't turn things around with the bat, and it's still a lingering question.

However, the Yankees appear to be settling that in Spring Training, as Rice has not taken any reps at catcher.

Manager Aaron Boone recently said he didn't know when asked whether or not Rice would catch any exhibition games (via Brendan Kuty of The Athletic), and with Paul Goldschmidt now the obvious backup at first base, New York seems to be counting on Rice manning the position on an everyday basis.

That means no more backstop for Rice (at least for now), and it also entails that J.C. Escarra will likely make the Opening Day roster as Wells' backup.

You would think the Yanks would still like to keep Rice fresh behind the plate in case of emergency ... or in the event that they decide Wells simply isn't the answer.

The Yankees could always move Rice back to catcher and then acquire another first baseman, but at the same time, they would surely prefer to have a much better defender at receiver.

Rice slashed .255/.337/.499 with 26 home runs and 65 RBI over 530 plate appearances last season, and during the second half, he posted an .894 OPS.

New York significantly values Rice's bit, and turning him into a full-time catcher could ultimately harm his offense long term due to all the wear and tear, so that's another factor the Yankees may be weighing.

One thing is for sure: we are all excited to see what the 27-year-old does for an encore this coming season.

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