Austin Wells is not having a great season, and the New York Yankees reportedly looked into adding a catching upgrade at the trade deadline.
The Yankees were unable to land a star catcher at the trade deadline like the other catcher-needy teams in their division, but Wells has started to heat up. Since July 30, Wells has played in eight games, starting seven of them.
In that span, he's gone 6-for-17 with three doubles and a home run. Getting Wells going could be huge for the Yankees, as they are currently without Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger. Ali Sánchez has started to get some more opportunities, but Wells could reclaim his at-bats with a hot streak.
Last season, Wells had a .712 OPS. It was not the best, but far better than what the Yankees have gotten out of him this year. Wells had a 1.086 OPS in the World Baseball Classic, playing for the Dominican Republic, and many fans thought that could carry into the regular season.
Wells has a career OPS of .685, so he really has not established himself as a reliable offensive catcher. It's no surprise that the Yankees were looking for upgrades at the trade deadline. However, the catchers they have right now are who they will have to work with the rest of the way.
If the Yankees want to win the American League, getting more production from Wells will be key. He will need to continue his hot streak through the rest of the regular season to help the Yankees cover the loss of star players to injury.