Yankees Rumors: NYY rebuffed Dodgers at trade deadline but Rays helped them anyway

Though the Yankees acquired two notable names at the 2026 trade deadline in Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos, it felt rather quiet. Neither player represented a need for what New York's roster lacked, and when the buzzer sounded without Brian Cashman trading for a pitcher, many fans were confused.

Another development was the team's failure to address the catching position. Thankfully, Austin Wells has turned it around with a respectable second half showing, but the depth behind him is still questionable. Ali Sanchez and JC Escarra aren't what you'd call assets.

And yet, according to FanSided's Pat Ragazzo, the Los Angeles Dodgers expressed interest in both of those backup options at the trade deadline. The Yankees rebuffed them, however, as Ragazzo cited Wells' struggles during the first half in addition to the fact they had troubles of their own improving their catching situation. They tried to make a deal to upgrade, but were unable to get it done.

That said, with a greater need for pitching depth, especially after parting with Camilo Doval, Jake Bird and Yovanny Cruz, wouldn't it have been a smart low-risk move to trade Escarra to LA for a reliever? Maybe the Dodgers weren't willing to part with any MLB-ready arms given their current injury woes, but it would've at least been worth a try.

Why the Yankees didn't trade a catcher to the Dodgers at the 2026 deadline

Instead, LA pivoted to two other trades with the Mets and Rays. They acquired catcher Ben Rortvedt (a former Yankee) in exchange for right-handed pitcher Chayce McDermott. In the deal with Tampa, the Dodgers traded outfield Jack Suwinski and international bonus pool money for catcher Hunter Feduccia and minor league pitcher Jacob Kmatz.

McDermott hasn't been good for the Mets, but he's served as one of the last guys in the bullpen to eat innings when needed. He's only made three appearances (5 1/3 innings) since the deadline, but with one minor league option remaining he could've been useful for New York. That said, Escarra probably has more value than Rortvedt, so it wasn't a match.

It turns out, the division-rival Rays stepping in actually helped the Dodgers greatly. While LA was without Will Smith and Dalton Rushing, Feduccia hit .255 with a .701 OPS in 22 games. Though the Dodgers have been largely struggling since early July, that production helped them stay afloat while they dealt with thinning personnel.

It's unclear if Escarra would've been a better option for the Dodgers (who were seeking a left-handed hitting backstop), but two things can be true here: the Yankees didn't want to help LA in their quest for a three-peat and they weren't willing to deplete their own catching reserves if they couldn't bring in another respectable option.

Though we would've liked to see the Yankees upgrade in any manner possible and/or simply get whatever value's left of Escarra from a team in desperate need of catching help, Cashman stood pat and the results have been totally acceptable. Wells' rebound, Sanchez's ability to hit left-handed pitching, and Escarra's surge at Triple-A have the Bombers in a solid spot right now.

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