Yankees could get into bidding war with Rays over .949 OPS Twins catcher

May 17, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins designated hitter Ryan Jeffers (27) celebrates his solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees are heading towards the 2026 MLB trade deadline with a few clear needs, and one of those needs is at the catcher position.

Austin Wells hasn't been nearly good enough this season, and the Yankees really need to find a way to add to the catcher room. Ideally, a right-handed-hitting slugging catcher would be the kind of player they trade for.

Fortunately, there's a good option likely to be traded this summer. However, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic notes, the Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays could wind up in a bidding war for this .949 OPS catcher from the Minnesota Twins, Ryan Jeffers.

Yankees could get into bidding war with Rays for Ryan Jeffers

"Speculation persists that the New York Yankees will pursue Jeffers," Rosenthal reports. "The Tampa Bay Rays are another team interested in catching help, creating the possibility of an AL East bidding war."

The Yankees have been tied to trade rumors with Jeffers for a while now, and it would hardly be a surprise if the Twins catcher wound up in New York this summer.

But now, the Rays might be entering the sweepstakes as a legitimate suitor. Tampa Bay is seeking more power-hitting bats for their lineup, and Jeffers certainly fits the bill.

MORE: Rays trade idea sends top-10 prospect in MLB to Tigers for Tarik Skubal

Of course, it won't just be these two teams in pursuit of Jeffers, as there's bound to be other clubs in need of catching help that look to Jeffers as the best trade target this year.

But the bidding war between the Yankees and Rays for Jeffers could wind up costing the Yankees a lot, or they could even lose the bidding war and be forced to turn to different catching options.

That would be far from ideal, as the other catcher trade targets around baseball are not nearly as good as Jeffers. This bidding war could seriously throw a wrench in the Yankees' trade deadline plans.

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