The New York Yankees have long been a conservative organization. The franchise has been known for staunchly adhering to its old ways, even when the rest of the league has passed them by. However, the winds of change have been sweeping through the Bronx (players can have beards now!), and a key component of roster building is seemingly changing throughout baseball.

Conventional wisdom had been that a smart team-building philosophy would be to maximize the six years of team control. With three pre-arb years coming at dirt-cheap prices, plus three more arbitration years, clubs have long been incentivized to take a wait-and-see approach in order to maximize value.

Sure, arbitration numbers can reach near-market prices, since there is no limit to how much salary can increase during that process, but teams have often benefitted from the fact that, even if there is a big bump from one year to the next, the commitments aren’t long-term.

The Yankees have often used this to their benefit, waiting until other teams’ players hit free agency, and then pouncing once that player has proven himself and priced himself out of his current team’s budget.

That landscape is changing, as more and more often teams are coming to terms on long-term extensions with their young talent, often before the arbitration process even begins. The logic is sound; a club can lock up a talented young player long-term beyond his six years of team control while keeping the salary consistent. For the player, he may lose out on some future earnings potential, but he’s also protected by the increased financial security that these extensions provide.

With extensions now on the books for the likes of Kristian Campbell, Jackson Merrill, Garrett Crochet, and others, these three young Yankees stand out as prime extension candidates that the organization should scramble to immediately lock up long-term.

Austin Wells should be a top extension priority for the Yankees

One of the more overlooked lynchpins of the most recent Yankees dynasty was a man who provided the Yankees with an incredible offensive advantage from the catcher position, Jorge Posada. In the 14 years since the fiery Posada hung up his cleats, the Yankees have cycled through a hodge-podge combination of top prospects who ultimately disappointed (looking at you, Jesus Montero and Gary Sánchez), and veteran retreads who failed to make an impact.

Austin Wells’ career is just beginning. The 25-year-old doesn’t become arbitration eligible until 2027 and is under team control until 2030. However, after an impressive rookie season that saw him thrown into the fire, it’s clear he’s different than the young Yankees’ catchers of that past.

Upon being drafted back in 2020, a common refrain regarding his future was that he likely wouldn’t stick behind the dish. Despite that criticism, Wells has worked hard on his game and has become one of the better defensive catchers in the league.

Per Baseball Savant, his pitch framing ranked in the 96th percentile in the league last season, to go along with 75th percentile blocking. His control of the run game was more pedestrian, but still respectable, ranking in the 52nd percentile.

With that solid defensive foundation, Wells also brings offensive prowess. For a young hitter, he has an advanced eye at the plate, as evidenced by his 11.4% walk rate in 2024, to pair with some pop in his bat, posting a .167 ISO, which ranked ninth among catchers with at least 350 plate appearances.

While there’s inherent risk with any young player, especially one who plays such a physically demanding position, Wells’ pedigree and early production point to him only getting better with time.

The extension market for catchers has already been set this offseason, with the Toronto Blue Jays rewarding Alejandro Kirk with a five-year $58 million deal, and the Seattle Mariners bestowing Cal Raleigh with a six-year, $105 million pact.

If the Yankees strike soon, they should be able to lock up Wells to a deal that more closely resembles the Kirk contract. However, if they wait, the price tag will only go up and, given the budding star’s potential, could end up exceeding what Raleigh got.