The New York Yankees enter a critical offseason after an abrupt postseason exit, with catcher emerging as one of the positions drawing the most outside attention.
New York swept the Boston Red Sox in the American League Wild Card Series, then was swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the Division Series. The early departure has sharpened focus on areas the club left unchanged during the season.
Catcher was among the needs discussed at the 2026 trade deadline. The Yankees did not add at the position then, even as names circulated around the league.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report included Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers on a list of free-agent targets that could help New York.
“Everyone expected the Yankees to trade for Jeffers, right up until the Twins got hot in late July and decided to be buyers instead of sellers,” Miller wrote. “But better late than never, right?”
Jeffers, 29, is set to reach free agency after spending his entire career with Minnesota. He ranks among the more established catchers expected to be available once the market opens.
In 92 games in 2026, he hit .256 with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs. His OPS was .814, and Baseball-Reference credited him with a 2.8 WAR.
The year before, he played 119 games and batted .266 with nine home runs and 47 RBIs.
He has reached 14 or more home runs in four of his seven major league seasons. The high mark came in 2024, when he hit 21 home runs across 122 games.
Through 607 career games, Jeffers owns a .242 average, 82 home runs and 279 RBIs.
Miller wrote that Jeffers produced a .782 OPS over the past four seasons, a mark that placed him among the more productive catchers in that span.
Reports before the deadline connected the Yankees to Jeffers. Minnesota kept him after a late-July push and finished 77-85, short of the playoffs.
Austin Wells is the Yankees’ primary catcher. A right-handed option such as Jeffers could share time with the left-handed Wells rather than replace him outright.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that the Twins are expected to make Jeffers a one-year, $23 million qualifying offer, which would bring draft compensation if he signs elsewhere.
Jeffers has indicated he is open to returning to Minnesota while also testing the broader market. Free agency begins after the World Series.
Any pursuit by New York would address a spot the club passed on upgrading in July. How aggressively the Yankees move remains to be seen.
