J.C. Escarra didn't get much time before the roster move came for him again. The return of Austin Wells caused this, but how this happened and the numbers of both players during the season were certainly enough for the Yankees fans to have a gripe about it.

Bryan Hoch, an insider for the Yankees, announced the news via tweet on Saturday, stating, "The Yankees have optioned J.C.‌ Escarra to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, preparing for Austin Wells' return tomorrow. Wells will share catching duties with Ali Sanchez."

It is easy to understand when you look at the figures. Escarra has managed a .188 batting average along with 37 OPS+, and he has made five doubles and one triple in 32 games, whereas Wells comes back to the Bronx with a .166 batting average, four home runs, and a very low .533 OPS in 47 games.

While Wells did provide some confidence boost to the Yankees through his rehabilitation stint by playing a complete nine-inning game in Triple-A and hitting two home runs in one game on June 18 against Columbus, this type of production is important, considering that in the previous season, his OPS+ was close to 50.

However, one game of rehabilitation cannot make up for 47 games of underperforming in the major league.

This is why Escarra’s option seemed hasty to the fans due to such a vast difference in performance levels.

This anger was not only expressed in the scorecard but also on social media, as fans ripped into Escarra’s demotion.

Yankees fans react to the J.C. Escarra move

"This team and its analytics. Who cares if the best player is the wrong hand?" one supporter remarked, sarcastically pointing out the front office's preference for Sánchez's right-handed bat over Escarra's real output, even though Escarra boasts a higher OPS+ this season.

One fan commented, saying, "Wells is awful….we've seen it for years," pointing out his batting average of just .166 and OPS of .533 in this year’s season. Wells' career performance has not lived up to expectations in the previous season; his OPS+ was close to 50

"JC >Wells," read another reaction, a blunt take given Escarra's own .188 average. Even with weak numbers across 32 games, some fans still preferred his bat in the lineup over a struggling Wells.

Another comment came in saying, "Keep Wells in AAA," referring to the rehab assignment Wells was on, in which he played an entire game and hit two homers for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It appeared that these stats should carry more weight before recalling him to the majors.

The sentiment "Wish they just kept Wells down there" was echoed by another, highlighting the concern that Wells's 45 strikeouts in 47 games this season would hinder his performance in the Bronx.

The reactions reveal the fans' doubts about whether Wells has addressed their problems, regardless of how the numbers turn out.

Will Wells turn his season around, or will this catching carousel repeat itself once more? Leave your guess below.

Read more at the New York Yankees Community!

Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta