30-year-old backstop J.C. Escarra has been a nice shock for the Yankees this 12 months since rising because the membership’s main backup to Austin Wells. In 36 video games this 12 months, the journeyman who spent the 2022 and ’23 seasons exterior of affiliate ball has slashed a good .215/.312/.354 (89 wRC+) with elite pitch framing numbers. Whereas Escarra has been a below-average hitter total, he’s sporting spectacular plate self-discipline numbers with a strikeout price of simply 14.0% in opposition to an outstanding 11.8% stroll price. Escarra’s 36-game displaying within the majors has been sufficient to seize the eye of some rival golf equipment, based on a report from the New York Publish’s Joel Sherman.
Sherman writes that Yankees GM Brian Cashman was receiving calls concerning Escarra relationship all the way in which again to final 12 months’s commerce deadline, a time when the journeyman backstop had spent lower than a season again in affiliated ball and had been on the Triple-A degree within the Yankees’ system for lower than two weeks. That mixture of curiosity and the chance the truth that the Yankees have begun giving Ben Rice reps behind the plate in video games was sufficient to guide Sherman to recommend the Yankees may think about listening to provides on Escarra this summer time, although that seems to be largely speculative on Sherman’s half.
No matter whether or not New York is considering parting with their backup this summer time, the truth that groups have curiosity in his companies is attention-grabbing. Given the truth that Escarra made his large league debut earlier this 12 months, he has 5 years of workforce management remaining after this season and wouldn’t be eligible for arbitration till the 2028 marketing campaign. That might make him a powerful match for a variety of catching-needy golf equipment, each these in competition and people with longer playoff timelines.
The Padres may actually stand to get extra out of their catching tandem and are recognized to be searching for upgrades in the course of a win-now season, however on the opposite finish of the spectrum the Nationals have the worst catching tandem within the majors and will view a gifted framer like Escarra as an ideal complement to Keibert Ruiz long-term. The Twins stand out as a workforce on the bubble of playoff competition that could possibly be a speculative match for Escarra’s companies, as nicely. Christian Vazquez has not solely been among the many worst hitters in baseball this 12 months however is ticketed at no cost company following the 2025 marketing campaign, which means {that a} controllable catcher like Escarra couldn’t solely enhance Minnesota for 2025 but additionally fill a long-term want for the membership.
It’s arduous to say precisely how a lot the Yankees may count on to get in return for Escarra, however given the membership’s many wants this summer time it’s not arduous to think about them discovering some form of match. A 3rd baseman figures to be a precedence, and choices like Willi Castro and Amed Rosario may theoretically be had from the Twins and Nationals respectively. Nationals nearer Kyle Finnegan may bolster the membership’s flagging bullpen down the stretch, and whereas it could possibly be troublesome for a pair of contenders just like the Yankees and Padres to match up on the commerce market maybe the Padres have a depth starter like Matt Waldron or Kyle Hart who may curiosity the Yankees.
In fact, all of this hypothesis relies on the concept the Yankees could be open to carrying Rice as their main backup behind the plate for the stretch run. Rice has loved a correct breakout season on the dish this 12 months with a 122 wRC+ and even stronger underlying batted ball knowledge, however he’s made simply 11 appearances behind the plate this 12 months, together with solely 4 begins and two full video games. With out a lot extra catching depth out there to the Yankees within the decrease minors, buying and selling Escarra could be a serious vote of confidence in Rice as a participant able to dealing with the defensive duties of a giant league backup.
