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The New York Yankees want a righty-hitting catcher.
On Tuesday, they added one, although not the one anyone was picturing.
They signed veteran catcher Christian Bethancourt in free agency and sent him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre:
The Yankees have signed veteran catcher Christian Bethancourt to a Minor League contract and assigned him to the @swbrailriders.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) July 28, 2026MORE: Squirrel steals the show during MLB game
To be clear: This move definitely won't stop the Yankees from trading for a catcher before the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline.
If they were going to get Ryan Jeffers, or Hunter Goodman, or Tyler Stephenson, it still can happen.
Bethancourt just adds a little bit of depth.
The 34-year old catcher was once a strong prospect for the Atlanta Braves, but that was a long time ago.
He has played in 427 MLB games between the Braves, Rays, Padres, A's, Marlins and Cubs.
He's a career .229 hitter with 35 home runs in his MLB career.
Bethancourt also had a multi-year dalliance as a pitcher before returning to his catcher roots.
If the Yankees need him, it'll be as a defense-first backup catcher in the place of injury.
It's still an ironic move, though, the kind that has Yankees fans jokingly writing on social media, "We got our catcher!"
Sort of, but there's likely more to come.
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