The New York Yankees seem content with Austin Wells behind the plate, even though they shouldn’t be.
Yes, Wells is a great pitch framer and the pitching staff loves him, but there is no question that the Yankees could stand to upgrade from his subpar offense.
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The general consensus is that New York will simply find a platoon partner for Wells this winter, such as free-agent catcher Tyler Stephenson.
But could the Yankees make a bigger play?
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley thinks so, predicting that New York will swing a trade for Milwaukee Brewers star William Contreras this offseason.
Contreras has just one year of club control remaining, and the Brewers are not typically in the business of handing out lucrative long-term contracts.
As a result, the three-time All-Star could be on the trade block in the coming months, and if Milwaukee does attempt to move him, the Yankees should absolutely be front and center.
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Contreras slashed .270/.341/.417 with 18 home runs and 94 RBI over 640 plate appearance this season while also playing his usual elite defense behind the dish.
The 28-year-old actually began his big-league career with the Atlanta Braves in 2020 and spent three seasons with the Braves before being traded to the Brewers as part of a three-team deal that sent Sean Murphy to Atlanta.
Contreras has excelled ever since, establishing himself as one of the best all-around backstops in baseball and posting a .792 OPS over four years in Milwaukee.
The Yankees could still keep Wells in this scenario and simply move him to a backup role, and they have plenty of other talent in their minor-league system that they could use to facilitate a trade with the Brewers.
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New York has dealt with Milwaukee before (see: Devin Williams), so both sides may be willing to revisit that well.
Contreras would do wonders for the Yankees, both from an offensive and a defensive perspective. It’s also worth noting that the Venezuelan native is building a solid playoff resume, owning a lifetime .266/.337/.457 slash line in October.
The Yankees are in dire need of some sort of change this offseason, and acquiring Contreras would be a fantastic way to go about it.
And considering that the clock is ticking for the Brewers, they may very well be open to making such a move.
If Contreras becomes available, the Yankees better not let the idea of Wells as the starter prevent them from taking an aggressive swing.
