Aaron Boone spoke to the media today, and in his media availability session mentioned that Ben Rice is working out with the catchers during camp, considering him an option for the Yankees’ backup catcher role.
The Yankees promoted the 26-year-old last season to make his MLB debut, and he did so playing first base when Anthony Rizzo went down with an arm injury. An organization known for developing catchers, Tanner Swanson has done excellent work helping various catchers develop as framers and blockers.
It doesn’t spell an end for Rice’s time at first base; Boone mentioned that the team would like to keep him flexible in that regard, and he could be an interesting storyline to follow as that could open the door for some more playing time.
Ben Rice To Compete For Yankees’ Backup Catcher Job
Ben Rice will spend Spring Training with the catchers, and he’ll have as good of a shot as anybody at winning the backup job according to Aaron Boone. The Yankees don’t have a clear answer at the position yet, as while J.C. Escarra and Jesus Rodriguez are on the 40-man roster, neither of them have MLB experience.
Alex Jackson is a right-handed catcher, but his career 29 wRC+ may be too unbearable despite having a strong glove, and he also isn’t on the 40-man roster. In order to make room for him the Yankees would have to designate a player for assignment as they currently have a full 40-man at the moment.
The fit with having two left-handed catchers on the roster isn’t ideal given that both Ben Rice and Austin Wells have been better against right-handed pitching in their careers, but the Yankees might be able to fit both on the roster. If Rice impresses in camp, he could spend time at both first base and catcher, giving Paul Goldschmidt a game or two here and there.
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What could be interesting is monitoring whether the Yankees decide to add a backup catcher through the trade or free agent market, as Yasmani Grandal is still unsigned and Christian Vazquez is a contract the Twins could move. The Yankees could also just stay in-house there, especially with how good Austin Wells was for them last season both offensively and defensively.
Ben Rice provides a nice punch to the offense as he has some serious home run power, and if the Yankees roster him on Opening Day they could have a bat they can go to against a tough righty. It also provides them some insurance if Paul Goldschmidt gets off to a slow start or if Austin Wells has an injury, and last season we saw flashes of promise from Rice that the organization clearly remembers.
Teams may also value Ben Rice more if he’s a catcher, and that may be important if the team is eyeing an infielder on the market. Things are so fluid with the offseason and the Yankees’ roster that anything could be on the table, but Ben Rice isn’t a player the Yankees would move for scraps either.
Gerrit Cole worked with Ben Rice at Somerset this past season, raving about his receiving abilities, pitch-calling, and pre-game preparation. The Yankees could get even younger if they add him to the 26-man roster, and he could play a variety of roles on this team in 2025.