The New York Yankees seem to have made a decision on catcher Austin Wells.
What does the future hold for New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells?
Wells is coming off of a rough 2025 campaign in which he slashed .219/.275/.436 with 21 home runs and 71 RBI over 448 plate appearances. While the pop was there, Wells' plate discipline plummeted this past season, which is a major concern moving forward.
However, the 26-year-old is a fine defensive backstop who calls a good game, and he is under team control through 2029.
Nevertheless, Wells' frustrating bat has some wondering if he actually has a legitimate future in the Bronx, and there has been some light trade speculation surrounding him this offseason.
On that front, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman put any Wells trade conjecture to bed this week, essentially confirming that he will be behind the plate for New York in 2026.
“He’s really talented,” Cashman said, via Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. “I think he’s one of the better catchers in the game on both sides of the ball. And I think there’s a lot better offense in there than what we saw last year. So I look forward to seeing that playback (next) year because I do think you’ll see better results, but I don’t have an answer for you before that."
Wells made his big-league debut in 2023, playing in just 19 games. The following year, he became the Yankees' starting catcher, slashing .229/.322/.395 with 13 homers and 55 RBI across 414 trips to the dish. Not exactly eye-popping numbers, but it's tough to find a good catcher.
Plus, the Scottsdale, Az. native is a great clubhouse guy.
"I just think he’s super talented, and I’m glad he’s in our fold because I know our pitchers like throwing to him, and I know he’s a threat every time he’s up at the plate," Cashman added. "So I think his profile on the offensive side is better than the results from last year.”
Wells has certainly shown flashes, but he has struggled mightily with his consistency. The problem is that the Yanks traded all of the other young catchers within their organization, so they don't have any other internal solutions.
Basically, the Yankees will ride it out with Wells next season and then probably re-evaluate. If Wells doesn't show any signs of improvement in 2026, perhaps a change will be necessary.
Until then, though, the Bronx faithful should grow accustomed to seeing Wells in the lineup on a daily basis.