​Yankees’ top catcher trade target given 50-50 chance of being dealt by ESPN originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The New York Yankees first move as the 2026 MLB trade deadline approaches was the sale of reliever Camilo Doval to the Pittsburgh Pirates.Now, with that move out of the way, the Yankees will be in pursuit of help in the outfield, bullpen, and maybe the infield. But their top priority might be the catcher spot. Replacing Austin Wells is a real issue to resolve for the Yankees.With the deadline just days away, the top trade target of the Yankees at the catcher position, Minnesota Twins veteran Ryan Jeffers, was given a 50-50 chance of being traded by the deadline, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel.Yankees’ top trade target Ryan Jeffers has a 50% chance of being dealt”Ryan Jeffers, C, Minnesota Twins. Chance of being traded: 50%,” McDaniel and Passan project. “The Yankees are the obvious match.”With ESPN noting that the Yankees are the “obvious” trade partner for Jeffers, this 50% chance that he’s traded this summer is a noteworthy development.The odds of a Jeffers trade have fluctuated as the deadline has neared. One week, it feels as if Jeffers is not going anywhere. The next week, there’s a report or rumor that the Twins are still open to offers for the catcher.Now, with just a few days left until the deadline, the Twins have a 50% chance of trading Jeffers. He’s a rental catcher who is mashing this season, hitting .293 with 10 home runs in 167 at-bats with a .935 OPS and 160 OPS+.MORE: Yankees predicted to trade for Marlins’ Liam Hicks by ESPNJeffers would be an ideal pickup for the Yankees, and they’ve been strongly linked to the Twins veteran for a while now. This update from ESPN on their top trade target at catcher is a big one.While the Yankees themselves don’t have a 50% chance of acquiring Jeffers, the odds that he’d get traded sitting at 50% are already a good sign for a deal.The 50% chance Jeffers is dealt is some good news for the Yankees. These 50-50 odds aren’t all that bad considering their other top catcher options are much lower, like Hunter Goodman at 20% or Adley Rutschman at 35%.Of course, they’d need to win the bidding war against teams like the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. But, considering how often they’ve been linked to Jeffers, a deal would hardly be a surprise, especially considering the coin flip odds of a trade.More MLB news:Mets have no plan to offer contract extension to Freddy Peralta amid trade rumorsPhillies intrigued by Blue Jays trade idea for Jeff Hoffman and Daulton VarshoRed Sox predicted to trade for Tigers’ Gleyber Torres at deadlineCubs predicted to trade for Mets’ Clay Holmes by deadlineYankees linked to Padres for potential rotation for bullpen swap