Yankees' Austin Wells Problem Has Gotten Even More Frustrating

Back at the MLB trade deadline, there was speculation that the New York Yankees could pry Hunter Goodman away from the Colorado Rockies, but the cost proved too much.

Now, with Goodman being that much closer to free agency (he still has three years of club control remaining, but he is closer), trade rumors are starting to ramp up again.

ESPN's Jorge Castillo has floated Goodman as a potential option for the Yankees this offseason, noting that there might be a chance the Rockies would move him for the right offer.

But would New York actually pull the trigger?

That's the problem for the Yankees, who value Austin Wells obnoxiously highly even though he was one of the worst hitters in baseball for the vast majority of 2026.

He ended the season on a decent note, but he still ended up slashing just .189/.292/.332 over 388 plate appearances.

There is no question New York could improve at catcher if it wanted to, but the Yankees are being very stubborn there.

That's why any Goodman trade talks will likely result in a nothing burger.

To be fair, I am not necessarily advocating for New York to trade its entire farm system for Goodman, because that's what it would take.

We are talking about a 27-year-old backstop who just smashed 41 home runs this past season, and 25 of those were away from Coors Field, mind you.

In fact, Goodman was a far superior hitter on the road, posting an .882 OPS compared to a .791 OPS in Denver. So we know he can mash regardless of location.

Goodman's defense is definitely much less reliable, but when the guy is hitting 40 homers, you'll live with it.

But it's not that the Yankees wouldn't part with a massive trade package for Goodman that's frustrating; it's the fact that they refuse to even entertain upgrading behind the plate.

New York is remaining steadfast in its belief in Wells, this even though he is three full seasons into his big-league career and has gotten worse each year offensively. Yeah, he is a good pitch framer, but is that worth the putrid offense?

Wells would be perfectly fine in a backup role, which is why I think the Yankees should pursue the right-handed Ryan Jeffers for the starting job. But New York doesn't seem to have any intention of doing that.

The Yanks firmly believe that Wells is their starting catcher, and even though their overall philosophy has been dooming them for years now, they will not deterred from sticking to their guns. Both when it comes to Wells and all of their other mistakes.