For most teams, the status of the backup catcher is of little consequence. As ever, the Yankees aren't like most teams. The Yankees, surrounded by the New York media cauldron and cheered on by a demanding fan base, will be scrutinized heavily, at times beyond fathom. In 2017, Austin Romine, of all people, ended up receiving plenty of attention, thanks to the scrutiny placed on the player ahead of him on the depth chart, Gary Sanchez.
Romine is a nondescript ballplayer, and he had a largely nondescript 2017 in terms of on-field performance.