Cubs' contract decision just gave Yankees perfect Austin Wells complement

The speculation is that rather than replacing Austin Wells as the New York Yankees' starting catcher, the club will look at options to complement him. If anything, the Minnesota Twins' decision to give Ryan Jeffers the qualifying offer only nudges the Yankees in that direction.

Wells hit just .186/.292/.332 in 2026, but it was very much a tale of two seasons. The 27-year-old put up an abysmal 41 wRC+ in the first half, but his 124 wRC+ in the second half gave credence to the idea that the cervical headaches that landed him on the IL in June were the root cause of his struggles.

Still, Wells could use a platoon partner who is better than Ali Sanchez (and hopefully significantly so). Even once…