Potential Backup Catcher Options For New York Yankees Ahead of 2025

The Yankees face uncertainty at backup catcher after trading Jose Trevino to the Reds. Here’s who is available to fill that role.

Aug 27, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) reacts to a strike out call by umpire Jacob Metz (94) against the Tampa Bay Rays during the eighth inning at T-Mobile Park. Tampa Bay Rays catcher Alex Jackson (28) throws the ball. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

When the New York Yankees acquired Fernando Cruz from the Cincinnati Reds, they added significant swing-and-miss stuff to their bullpen, but it came at the expense of catching depth.

In the trade, they sent veteran catcher Jose Trevino to Cincinnati. Trevino, an All-Star and Platinum Glove winner in 2022, saw his 2023 season derailed by injuries before settling into a backup role behind AL Rookie of the Year finalist Austin Wells in 2024. While the Yankees did bring in another catcher, Alex Jackson, through the trade, he is far from a guaranteed fit as the primary backup in 2025.

So, who might step into that role? Before exploring the top names still available on the market, here is a quick look at the internal candidates within the Yankees’ organization:

Alex Jackson
Jackson, 29, spent the 2024 season with the Tampa Bay Rays, appearing in 58 games before being designated for assignment in September. Drafted sixth overall in 2014, Jackson was initially touted for his raw power and hitting ability, not his defense. But in the major leagues, the results have been the complete opposite.

In five MLB seasons, Jackson has accumulated 340 plate appearances, posting a .132/.224/.232 line with an alarming 41.8% strikeout rate. However, he has become a more reliable defender, particularly as a framer, and his overall defensive game has improved. Jackson boasts a .990 fielding percentage and has thrown out 29% of base stealers over 818.2 MLB innings.

Ben Rice
Rice, who will turn 26 in February, was originally developed as a catcher but transitioned to first base in the minors. That shift proved valuable when he was pressed into service at first base for the Yankees following Anthony Rizzo’s arm fracture. In his first 50 MLB games, the left-handed hitting rookie posted a .171/.264/.349 line with seven home runs and 23 RBI.

During that stint, Rice played 349 innings at first base and just one inning behind the plate. However, with the Yankees signing Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year deal, Rice’s most viable path to playing time in 2025, barring injury, could be at catcher.

“I’m always going to be a catcher at heart,” Rice told NorthJersey.com’s Pete Caldera shortly after his debut in July. “I’m always willing to go back (behind the plate) if they need it, but right now we’re prioritizing first base.”

J.C. Escarra
Escarra, who will turn 30 in April, offers an intriguing career trajectory. A former 15th-round pick, he spent two full years out of affiliated baseball, playing in the Atlantic League and Mexican League before signing with the Yankees on a minor league deal this past January.

In 2024, Escarra hit four home runs with a 102 wRC+ across 72 games in Double-A before catching fire in Triple-A. There, he slugged eight home runs and posted a 142 wRC+ in 52 games with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Along with 59 appearances at catcher, Escarra also filled in at first base (27 starts), third base (19 games, 17 starts), and both corner outfield spots (3 starts each).

Escarra, who has yet to make his big league debut, was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster in November to prevent him from entering free agency. He recently won the Dominican Winter League batting title, hitting .363 in 35 games.

Jesus Rodriguez
Rodriguez, 22, has yet to play above Double-A but has shown impressive offensive potential. He hit .332/.412/.507 (.919 OPS) with five home runs and 33 RBI in 56 games with High-A Hudson Valley before earning a promotion to Double-A Somerset. There, he added five more home runs in 23 games but was hampered by two separate stints on the injured list.

Unfortunately for the Yankees, the catching market moved quickly before they traded Trevino, with notable names like Kyle Higashioka, Travis d’Arnaud, Danny Jansen, Carson Kelly, and Austin Hedges all finding homes early. While options are limited, there are three free agents who have posted a positive combined fWAR over the past two seasons.

Best Available in Free Agency (combined fWAR above 0.0 from 2023-24)

Yasmani Grandal (36, 1.4)
Grandal, a two-time All-Star, brings nearly 9,000 innings of major-league catching experience. In 2024, he served as the personal catcher for Paul Skenes, who won the NL Rookie of the Year Award and finished third in Cy Young voting.

The switch-hitter slashed .228/.304/.400 (.704 OPS) with nine home runs and 27 RBI in 72 games this past season. He turned things around late, hitting .296/.410/.571 over his final 119 plate appearances. Defensively, Grandal posted +13.5 framing runs and +2 blocking runs but had the slowest qualified pop time in MLB at 2.09 seconds.

Elias Díaz (34, 0.5)
Díaz, one season removed from an All-Star appearance with the Colorado Rockies, slashed .267/.316/.409 with 14 home runs and 72 RBI in 141 games. He memorably hit the game-winning home run for the National League in the 2023 All-Star Game and was named the MVP of the game.

In 2024, Díaz hit .270/.315/.378 with five home runs and 36 RBI in 84 games with the Rockies, before being released on August 16 following the promotion of top prospect Drew Romo. He finished the season with the San Diego Padres, posting a .720 OPS over 12 games.

A 10-year veteran, Díaz is respected for his leadership and game-calling abilities. Defensively, he’s consistently received high marks for blocking pitches and has maintained average or better caught-stealing rates.

James McCann (35, 0.5)
McCann, like Grandal and Díaz, is a former All-Star. He enjoyed a career year with the Chicago White Sox in 2019, slashing .273/.328/.460 with 18 home runs and 60 RBI in 120 games, but has struggled to replicate that success since.

After signing a four-year, $40 million contract with the New York Mets in December 2020, McCann failed to meet expectations. However, since being traded to the Baltimore Orioles two years later, he has been a steady backup. In 2024, McCann hit .234/.279/.388 with eight home runs and 31 RBI in 65 games. He was also nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award by the Orioles.

McCann’s toughness was on display July 29, when he was struck in the nose by a Yariel Rodríguez fastball during a doubleheader. Despite the injury, McCann finished the game and even played an entire contest as starting catcher two days later, donning a protective face mask while batting.

Other Available Free Agents: Yan Gomes (37, -0.1), Luke Maile (34, -0.2), Curt Casali (36, -0.7), Omar Narváez (33, -0.9), Martín Maldonado (38, -2.3), Max Stassi (34, N/A)

Potential Trade Partners
With demand for quality major league catching outstripping supply, finding trade partners willing to part with a catcher remains challenging. However, one team facing a logjam at the position is the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates currently have former No. 2 overall pick Joey Bart penciled in as their starting backstop after he posted a .799 OPS with 13 home runs in 80 games in 2024. Endy Rodríguez, Pittsburgh’s top catching option in 2023, is expected to return from UCL surgery, which sidelined him for nearly all of 2024 aside from a brief Double-A rehab stint.

Meanwhile, the Pirates also have 2021 first-overall pick Henry Davis, who can play right field and was a force at the plate in the minors (.936 OPS) but struggled in the majors (.454 OPS) in 2024. Jason Delay, who has +4 defensive runs saved and +11.8 framing runs over 966.2 MLB innings, is also part of the Pirates’ catching depth.

It is unclear if any of these players are available for trade, but the Yankees still have several paths they can pursue to address their catching depth behind Wells for 2025 and beyond.