Yankees’ Are ‘Making It No Secret’ That They Want Ryan Jeffers

While the Twins have remained within striking distance of contention for stretches, their inability to separate themselves from the pack has increasingly pointed toward a seller's approach at the trade deadline. If that direction becomes official, few players on the roster may generate more interest than catcher Ryan Jeffers.

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the New York Yankees "are making it no secret" that they want to acquire Jeffers before the trade deadline.

The interest is understandable. Jeffers is playing on a team-friendly $6.7 million contract and will become a free agent after the season. Productive catchers are difficult to find at any point during the year, and contenders searching for offensive upgrades behind the plate won't find many options with Jeffers' combination of power, on-base skills, and defensive ability.

Jeffers has been sidelined since May 18 after suffering a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. The injury required surgery and has kept him out for more than five weeks, but recent developments suggest he is trending in the right direction.

The veteran catcher has resumed baseball activities and recently began taking batting practice. Speaking with reporters this week, Jeffers acknowledged that recovery from the injury has been anything but predictable.

"There's good days, there's bad days," Jeffers told reporters. "It's a funky buildup just because it's not a straight line. It's not like rehabbing from an oblique where you can kind of timetable it out, of 'Hey, a couple swings here, a couple swings there.' Because there's so much — not to get too medical on it – but there's new pathways that the nerves and the tendons have to learn that just take a little time, but we're in the swings, and we're getting to above-arm BP swings. I like where we're at."

The encouraging news for Minnesota is that most of the remaining hurdles involve hitting. Jeffers said he has experienced few issues on the defensive side of his recovery and even caught a bullpen session earlier this week. His return to game action will largely depend on how quickly he becomes comfortable swinging a bat again.

Before the injury, Jeffers was producing at an All-Star level. Through 39 games, he slashed .295/.408/.541 with seven home runs, 26 RBI, and a .949 OPS. Those numbers represented some of the best offensive production of his seven-year career and reinforced his value as one of the more productive offensive catchers in the American League.

The Yankees have plenty of reasons to pursue that type of player. While Austin Wells remains a strong defender and one of baseball's better pitch framers, New York has received very little offensive production from the catching position this season. Yankees catchers have ranked near the bottom of baseball offensively, creating a clear need for an upgrade as the club pushes toward October. Jeffers would provide exactly that. 

He would also come at a lower acquisition cost than many of the bigger names potentially available on the market. Teams are often reluctant to move catchers during the season because of the relationships they build with pitchers and coaching staffs. However, Jeffers' expiring contract and Minnesota's current position in the standings could create a rare opportunity.

Victor Caratini has shown throughout his career that he can handle a larger workload and could step into the primary catching role if Jeffers is moved. That gives Minnesota flexibility that many clubs don't possess when considering a trade involving a starting catcher.

None of that makes the decision easy. Jeffers has spent his entire professional career in the Twins organization since being selected in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He has developed into one of the club's most consistent offensive performers and remains a respected presence in the clubhouse.

Still, if Minnesota ultimately decides to prioritize the future over a long-shot playoff push, moving an impending free agent at peak value may be the most logical path.

The next few weeks could determine everything. If Jeffers returns before the deadline and demonstrates that his bat is fully healthy, his market will only continue to grow. The Yankees may be the most obvious suitor today, but they likely won't be the only contender calling the Twins about one of the deadline's most appealing rental catchers.