30-year-old backstop J.C. Escarra has been a pleasant surprise for the Yankees this year since emerging as the club’s primary backup to Austin Wells. In 36 games this year, the journeyman who spent the 2022 and ’23 seasons outside of affiliate ball has slashed a respectable .215/.312/.354 (89 wRC+) with elite pitch framing numbers. While Escarra has been a below-average hitter overall, he’s sporting impressive plate discipline numbers with a strikeout rate of just 14.0% against a phenomenal 11.8% walk rate. Escarra’s 36-game showing in the majors has been enough to grab the attention of some rival clubs, according to a report from the New York Post’s Joel Sherman.
Sherman writes that Yankees GM Brian Cashman was receiving calls regarding Escarra dating all the way back to last year’s trade deadline, a time when the journeyman backstop had spent less than a season back in affiliated ball and had been at the Triple-A level in the Yankees’ system for less than two weeks. That combination of interest and the possibility the fact that the Yankees have begun giving Ben Rice reps behind the plate in games was enough to lead Sherman to suggest the Yankees could consider listening to offers on Escarra this summer, though that appears to be largely speculative on Sherman’s part.
Regardless of whether New York is interested in parting with their backup this summer, the fact that teams have interest in his services is interesting. Given the fact that Escarra made his big league debut earlier this year, he has five years of team control remaining after this season and wouldn’t be eligible for arbitration until the 2028 campaign. That could make him a strong fit for a number of catching-needy clubs, both those in contention and those with longer playoff timelines.
The Padres could certainly stand to get more out of their catching tandem and are known to be looking for upgrades in the middle of a win-now season, but on the other end of the spectrum the Nationals have the worst catching tandem in the majors and could view a gifted framer like Escarra as a perfect complement to Keibert Ruiz long-term. The Twins stand out as a team on the bubble of playoff contention that could be a speculative fit for Escarra’s services, as well. Christian Vazquez has not only been among the worst hitters in baseball this year but is ticketed for free agency following the 2025 campaign, meaning that a controllable catcher like Escarra could not only improve Minnesota for 2025 but also fill a long-term need for the club.
It’s hard to say exactly how much the Yankees could expect to get in return for Escarra, but given the club’s many needs this summer it’s not hard to imagine them finding some sort of match. A third baseman figures to be a priority, and options like Willi Castro and Amed Rosario could theoretically be had from the Twins and Nationals respectively. Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan could bolster the club’s flagging bullpen down the stretch, and while it could be difficult for a pair of contenders like the Yankees and Padres to match up on the trade market perhaps the Padres have a depth starter like Matt Waldron or Kyle Hart who could interest the Yankees.
Of course, all of this speculation is predicated on the idea that the Yankees would be open to carrying Rice as their primary backup behind the plate for the stretch run. Rice has enjoyed a proper breakout season at the dish this year with a 122 wRC+ and even stronger underlying batted ball data, but he’s made just 11 appearances behind the plate this year, including only four starts and two complete games. Without much additional catching depth available to the Yankees in the lower minors, trading Escarra would be a major vote of confidence in Rice as a player capable of handling the defensive duties of a big league backup.
If he started a snail shipping business it could be called Escarra’s Escargo Cargo.
Wendy’s franchise slanging J.Cs JBCs
Uber called about Escarra as well.
The Low-Cal Calzone Zone
Oui oui Magnifique lol!
Hard pass for the Padres. I realize Maldonado & Diaz can’t hit, but they are calling & catching some outstanding pitching performances in 2025. I don’t care about the offensive side of the Padres C position if this type of pitching holds up.
Let’s find a power bat for LF/DH instead. Marcell Ozuna would be interesting since the Braves should sell.
No way I would’ve never guessed Maldonado can’t hit
Maldonado? No hitting? Absolutely never said before in the same sentence
So here’s a trade that can help the padres then. Escarra, Stanton and Stroman for Cronenworth and Cease.
Cease and Stroman are on expiring contracts. Stanton and Cronenworth both have two years remaining. Let’s make it happen!
Send this to Bleacher Report.
Stroman is an inconsistent head case that any team with hopes of a playoff will steer clear of.
My error, Cronenworth has 5 years remaining at 12m per. Taking him into age 37? Uhhhgg. Stanton had two years remaining with a club option and Marlins picking up 30 million over next 3 years. So as far as luxury tax Stanton is 22m and Cronenworth 12m. As far as remaining salary Stanton is 19m 2026, 15m 2027, 15m 2028 which team can release him and pay 10m. So Yanks owe Stanton approx 45m if they opt out in 2028 starting next season. Cronenworth is owed 60m over next 5 years starting next season. This might be a good trade overall for Padres since they are definitely in the win now mode. Stanton has to of course waive his no trade. Stroman and Cease both are horrible this year and are free agents. Escarra is a catcher who has 5 years left before he reaches free agency so on paper this deal is pretty fair but I know Padres fans think Cease name value will bring back much more…
2 time AS who has .765 OPS this year and as career ave., Cronenworth at 12M AAV is a team friendly contract. And the Padres are in win now and every year mode
Why would the Padres want Stanton or Stroman?
You suggest some of the worst trade proposals I have ever seen.
::Insert Ryan Reynolds “But why?” meme::
Who is romanticizing JC Escarra? Really nice story, but is a pioneer in the field of catcher’s interferences.
Fairest trade would be JC Escarra for Eugenio Suarez…… and Gallen.
Need to balance out, Clip… maybe Clint Frazier amd Greg Bird could be included?
Pretty steep price to pay Gwynning. Gonna have to throw in Kelly for that.
Unpopular opinion but I think the Yankees should trade the Masahiro Tanaka rights for shohei ohtani, but that might be too much to give away…
Or maybe a 3 team trade where New York trades a really good ham sandwich and gets PCA and Acuna
Make it a 4 team trade with one team being a team to be named later, and it’s a deal
Apparently Yankee Clipper is Brian Cashman’s burner account…
That explains Clip’s thumbnail!
I took away the heart over Boone’s picture in hopes I could continue operating inconspicuously, but you got me!
Isn’t Sherman just a stenographer for Cashman?
Okay Boomer!
I don’t think you know what that means…or words.
The funniest thing about Alignment’s comment is he thinks he got you with a sick burn.
The Os should move Sugano for this guy given they have about 30 catchers on the IL
The Yankees can do better than that.
If I were the yankees I would take Sugano for Escarra but Baltimore already had escarra about 3 years ago and let him go. they have a highly touted prospect in sam basallo as well as Creed willems so I doubt they would make that trade
Ooohkay…I’m sure the phone lines are just burning up as GMs try to get their hands on a backup catcher.
The Yankees need him as a backup catcher. Escarra in a measly 93 PAs sports a .227 BABIP so how does one evaluate his trade value?
He has several years of minor league performance, too.
Probably didn’t even watch his PAs because teams do t really care what catchers do with the bat, if they did the avg ops for catchers wouldn’t be slightly above pitchers. Teams evaluate catchers for about 90% of what they do behind the plate. If they luck into someone who isn’t a black hole they consider themselves lucky.
Deeds has claimed the Padres are in a win-now season each of the past 4 seasons. Will their next season be win-now too? Regardless acquiring JC Escarra hardly qualifies as a “win-now” move
A 30 year old career minor leaguer backup Catcher in “high demand” is more of an indictment on how bad the Catching position in MLB is more than anything else
You quoted “high demand”… where do you see this? I see that some teams may be interested but thats a very different statement than high demand. Odds are he can be part of a package for a RP or something, not trading him for a star 3B lol
If the trade improves the yanks they should do it
Yankees are blowing Judge’s prime years
They made it to the World Series. Nobody is blowing his prime years. You don’t trade away the future for one player prime years to have a crap shoot in the playoffs. As a yankee fan with common sense I would rather they build something strong lasting if that meant they didn’t win this year and next then to trade away the future when the chances of them winning this year are slim with all the injuries and holes to plug especially the pitching.
Yankees are blowing Judge’s what?
Boston Alignment’s consistently insipid comments make me glad the Mute button exists.
Spending $300M on payroll just isn’t enough these days, eh?
$300MM is more than enough. You cannot be happy about how that $300MM is spent though. For that yearly price tag there shouldn’t be a roster where Trent Grisham is leading off, but here we are.
How many prime years does Judge have left? Two more after this season?
Trade for Sandy and hope Blake works his magic.
Marlins are cheap, not stupid.
Are you sure?
Wells, Lombard, Jones, Hess, Warren, Lagrange/Canningham for Skenes, Hayes and Bednar.
Or Volpe instead of Lombard
Amusing proposal.
Wells, Volpe, Jones, Warren, Hess, Cunningham for Skenes, Hayes and Bednar
Obviously the Yankees make that trade before the pirates can second guess themselves. Skenes deserves a Soto-esque return and won’t be available for another year or two.
Skenes’ value is currently way higher with five potential playoffs” run than when the Nats traded Soto with three.
Obviously… which is why he’s not getting traded. Pirates wouldn’t trade him for the Yankees top 3 best prospects a healthy Gil, and Dominguez. So everyone should just stop with the skenes dumb trade ideas.
Rice/Escarra at Catcher
the talent level of baseball is very very low right now. Justifying this absolute nothing as a trade candidate is the ultimate proof. I hope the sport can get out of this death spiral
The talent level of baseball is very very high right now. The best players in the world and their teams are committing vast resources to get maximum performance from each of them.
Would the Nats consider JC for Rosario swap? If so, let’s make a deal
No thanks….Rosario does nothing to help the Yankee infield at 3rd, and we have younger versions of this guy already on the roster……JC may not be a cornerstone, but trading him weakens the catching position while not adding to either offense or defense at 3rd base…..
Sports Illustrated is where the truth is buried.
Lol this report is insane. Not only is there interest in Escarra, but there ALSO was last year…as a 29 y/o with less than a year in affiliated ball and less than a dozen games at AAA?
OK, and I’m hearing there’s 1st round interest in drafting me tonight as a 35 y/o who hasn’t played baseball since 4th grade
It’s a Joel Sherman report so take it with several grains of salt.
There’s plenty of teams who would be interested however they aren’t giving up anything that the Yankees are going to roster this year.
Catchers in general don’t really bring back huge returns not back up ones. He’s just a guy. His potential is limited. The Yankees have an odd roster that doesn’t really fit. 3 left handed hitting catchers? Jazz out of position. Dj before with zero range whatsoever, pereza who can’t hit. Stanton can’t run DH only. Their roster looks like a roster constructed on a baseball sim where you play in one of those screw your rival leagues. Where you can swap any player from your team with your rival and you end up with a mishmash roster. They were fun to play but i nightmare to manage a full season.
I don’t know how Cashman‘s gonna navigate his way through this. They’ve been hit with way too many pitching injuries needing a starter two relief pictures third base. That’s a lot of things to add while being significantly over the tax and have to pay 110% tax. Good luck. They aren’t in a position to add a bunch of salary.
The Yankee catching factory continues
I think you mean the NY Times
Amen. Post is absolute garbage, across the board.
When has batting under .215 been respectable?
There shouldn’t be a comma before “as well.”