NEW YORK — The Yankees enter another offseason with a familiar problem behind the plate: an established starter whose offensive production has fallen short of expectations and an uncertain path to more consistent production from the position.
Austin Wells hit .186 with 14 home runs, 32 RBIs and a .624 OPS in 2026. The left-handed hitter also missed time during the season because of cervical headaches, interrupting an already difficult year at the plate.
New York has relied heavily on left-handed catching options, including J.C. Escarra and Ben Rice, who has spent much of his time at first base. That construction has limited the club’s ability to play matchups without sacrificing other parts of its lineup.
The Yankees’ postseason exit sharpened attention on an offense that struggled to sustain rallies. Catcher was not the only problem, but improving the position could help manager Aaron Boone create more balanced lineups without abandoning Wells as a long-term option.
Two very different avenues have emerged in the offseason discussion: an ambitious trade for a controllable St. Louis hitter and a lower-cost free-agent catcher whose greatest offensive value comes against left-handed pitching.
Cardinals catcher carries the larger trade price
Ivan Herrera is the more ambitious target. The Cardinals are exploring the market for their catchers, with Herrera among the names reportedly available for discussion as their catching depth creates choices for the front office.
The Yankees expressed trade interest in Herrera before the 2026 deadline, according to earlier reporting, but St. Louis kept him. The 26-year-old finished the season with a .241 average, 19 home runs, 69 RBIs, a .353 on-base percentage and a .735 OPS. He appeared in 52 games at catcher while also serving extensively as a designated hitter.
A recently published hypothetical deal sends right-handers Carlos Lagrange and Thatcher Hurd, left-hander Kyle Carr and third baseman Ryan McMahon to St. Louis for Herrera and catcher Pedro Pagés. It is a media proposal, not an agreed framework or a confirmed offer from either organization.
The package would require the Yankees to surrender significant pitching depth. Hurd and Carr add two more arms to the proposal, while McMahon would give St. Louis an option at third base. McMahon hit .213 with 11 home runs in 124 games in 2026 and is due $16 million in 2027.
Luis Gil presents another possible name for trade discussions because St. Louis needs pitching, but he is not part of that published four-player proposal. No verified report establishes that the Yankees have offered Gil in a Herrera deal.
Herrera remains under team control for three more seasons. That leverage makes him different from a short-term backup signing and helps explain why St. Louis could seek a substantial return.
A free agent offers a right-handed matchup advantage
Jonah Heim offers a much different route. The switch-hitting catcher entered free agency after his 2026 season with Atlanta and the Athletics, and he would not require the Yankees to trade young pitching to acquire him.
Heim hit .204 with 13 home runs and a .628 OPS overall in 2026. Yet the splits show a particularly strong fit for a team seeking a complement to Wells: Against left-handers, Heim hit .267 with 10 home runs and an .855 OPS. Against right-handers, he hit .160 with three home runs and a .471 OPS.
That 384-point OPS gap in 2026 offers a clear reason to consider a platoon, although it does not guarantee the same result next season. The veteran’s career numbers are much less impressive overall, with a .649 OPS through seven big league seasons.
Heim also brings postseason experience from Texas’ 2023 World Series championship team. He was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner that season, when he hit .258 with 18 home runs and 95 RBIs.
The defensive trade-off changes the calculation
The key difference is not simply the price. Herrera’s strongest value has come from his bat, but a catching upgrade would depend on how often the Yankees could use him behind the plate rather than at designated hitter.
Heim has the longer major league catching record, though his receiving metrics have deteriorated. Statcast credited him with 12 framing runs in 2023, compared with minus-two in both 2025 and 2026. His overall catching value also declined from plus-15 runs in 2023 to minus-one in 2026.
Those figures create a test for the Yankees’ catching development staff, not proof that it can automatically reverse the decline. A veteran signed mainly for left-handed pitching matchups must still earn the pitching staff’s trust when calling games, blocking pitches and controlling the running game.
Wells, meanwhile, remains under club control. A second catcher need not displace him to materially affect Boone’s options. A right-handed or switch-hitting complement could make it easier to manage difficult matchups and maintain coverage when injuries arise.
New York faces a choice between cost and role
The Cardinals’ willingness to discuss their catchers opens the possibility of a larger deal, but Herrera’s team control and offensive upside give St. Louis little reason to accept a modest package. A trade could also affect the Yankees‘ depth on the mound and at third base.
Heim’s free agency creates a more direct route to a platoon, with less prospect cost but more uncertainty over defense and whether his 2026 success against left-handers will carry forward.
As of Nov. 4, there is no confirmed agreement involving either player. The Yankees still have Wells on the roster, while the market presents two ways to address the same concern: invest heavily for a younger impact bat or seek a narrower, lower-cost fit behind the plate.
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