After Austin Romine left the Yankees to sign with the Tigers earlier this offseason it looked like his departure would open up an opportunity for Kyle Higashioka to be Gary Sanchez’s new backup. That’s still likely still the case but Higgy could face some stiff competition to win the job this spring.
Over the past month, the Yankees have now signed Iannetta and Erik Kratz to minor-league deals. Both moves were made to give New York some veteran depth behind Sanchez, but also to give them a catcher for their Triple-A squad heading into next season.