Austin Wells has not had a good year, and the New York Yankees are in desperate need of an upgrade at catcher.
With Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton out, the offense is already down two big bats. Replacing players who are underperforming would do wonders for the team, and Wells is a clear candidate to be replaced. Ryan Jeffers will be a free agent after the season, and the Yankees have already reportedly shown interest in him.
Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley predicted the Yankees would pull off a trade for Jeffers, and it would certainly make them favorites in the American League. The Yankees already have the second-best record in the American League, despite playing without Judge and Stanton and missing Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon for extended periods of time.
Jeffers has a .950 OPS and has nine homers in 43 games. He is having his best offensive season and has picked up right where he left off after coming off the injured list.
Wells is hitting .158 with a .511 OPS. He is pretty much an automatic out at this point, and finding a better catcher should be the Yankees' top priority at the deadline. They know they will get Judge and Stanton back at some point, so upgrading at catcher should make them the clear favorites in the AL.
Even though Jeffers is just a rental, the Yankees have to know that the American League is weak this year, and they need to capitalize on that.