Goldschmidt is set to become a free agent after 2025, and rice could be a natural fit at first base in 2026 and beyond. The yankees’ catching hierarchy: Why ben rice is in the mix austin wells came out of nowhere to grab the starting catcher job this season. · rice regularly works with catching instructor tanner swanson and is showing growth, the yankees will tell you. · a new york yankees insider details how aaron boone will keep ben rice in the lineup once giancarlo stanton returns next week. · boone’s solution involves expanding rice’s utility across first base, dh, and catching positions. Escarra, who used to play first base, has turned into a pretty solid backup. With goldschmidt projected … · according to baseball savant, wells ranked third in catcher framing runs (11) and tied for fourth in fielding run value (12) among major league catchers, while wells’ 3. 79 catcher’s era was sixth-best in the al and 10th best in the majors. That’s occurring while he takes groundballs daily at his other position. The new york yankees slugger is making his first career start at catcher. The yankees have a need at third base with … · ben rice will get to don the famous tools of ignorance on wednesday night. · teams are looking at young yankees 1b ben rice before the mlb trade deadline, but are looking at his catching prospects, according to joel sherman. The yankees are now tasked with finding alternative roles for rice, … Also, when it comes to a backup for … With opening day fast approaching, one candidate has begun separating himself from the pack— ben rice. If everything goes according to plan, the yankees may have their first baseman of the future developing right in front of them. · paul goldschmidt will hold down the position for 2025, giving rice time to refine his approach and gradually take over in the coming years. He’s done more than anyone expected, both with the pitching staff and at the plate. “even as the yankees … This approach preserves rice’s offensive contributions while stanton resumes dh duties. · what this means for the future while rice is unlikely to overtake wells as the full-time starter behind the plate this season, the long-term picture becomes more interesting. · amid a six-game losing streak and back-to-back series defeats to the blue jays and mets, wfan’s sal licata launched a scathing on-air rant on the yankees’ declining standards … · this strategic shift became apparent when team social media channels showcased rice catching luis gil’s bullpen session on camp’s opening day. Some folks even say he’s better than wells at pitch framing, which is wild when … · as the new york yankees prepare for the 2025 campaign without giancarlo stanton, sidelined indefinitely with torn tendons in both elbows, the organization finds itself searching for a designated hitter replacement. · rice is not going to overtake austin wells as the primary backstop for the yankees, but mixing him in at the position will allow boone to fit stanton and others in the lineup. He was the starting catcher in 53 of the yankees’ final 74 regular season games, from july 4 through the end of september – and … · paul goldschmidt is not going to be removed from first base, and austin wells is going to remain as the teams primary catcher. · however, with stanton’s imminent return, rice’s opportunities at the designated hitter position will diminish.