The New York Yankees missed out on an opportunity to make a push for Hunter Goodman ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
The Colorado Rockies‘ catcher remains in the Mile High City — for now.
According to one baseball writer, Goodman stands a strong chance of being traded before 2027 Opening Day.
Yankees Shouldn’t Dismiss Trading for Goodman Before Opening Day
GettyHunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies could find his way to the New York Yankees before Opening Day
Per Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, “The Rockies’ perennial need for pitching means they have to at least entertain the idea of moving Hunter Goodman if the payoff is improving a staff that again ranks dead-last in the majors with a 5.48 ERA.”
Before the trade deadline, it was rather apparent that New York needed an upgrade behind the plate to support the struggling Austin Wells.
Despite the glaring need, the Yankees didn’t acquire a catcher this time around. That hole remains, and the offseason would be the next time for the franchise to take a chance and strike.
Goodman is currently slashing .253/.321/.543 with a career-high .864 OPS and 34 home runs through 109 games.
Along the way, he’s registered 16 doubles and 69 RBIs.
Now, as Reuter noted, he isn’t exactly of Gold Glove caliber, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t worth making a splash on. He confidently described him as, “… a passable defensive catcher with a true middle-of-the-order bat. That’s a rare breed in today’s game, which means there might be someone willing to offer up a king’s ransom.”
The 26-year-old catcher is arbitration-eligible through 2029.
He is now playing in his fourth season of Major League Baseball, each of which has been spent with the Rockies.
He was selected 109th overall in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB draft and later made his debut in August of 2023 with the organization.
In his career thus far, he owns a .250 batting average and an .804 OPS with 79 homers through his four seasons.
Looking at Where the Yankees Stand Right Now
GettyManager Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees should consider upgrading at catcher during the offseason
New York is coming off a tight 2-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, Aug. 9.
Despite the loss in the finale, the Yankees still secured a 2-1 series victory.
Next up on the schedule is a three-game stretch against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium. The Mariners are currently 56-62 overall, giving the Yankees a slight edge.
At the time of this writing, New York stands at 66-52 overall and is in second place in the American League East.
In the Major League standings, they are ranked sixth. The Yankees are trailing the Chicago Cubs (69-50), the Los Angeles Dodgers (71-48), the Atlanta Braves (71-48), the Tampa Bay Rays (72-46) and the Milwaukee Brewers (74-45).
As the Yankees navigate the remainder of their summer schedule, the postseason is creeping up.
According to FanGraphs as of Aug. 11, New York has a 15.0% chance of winning their division and a 98.8% chance of reaching postseason contention. They have a 9.3% chance of winning the World Series.
New York Yankees’ Former Trade Target Predicted To Be Available Before Opening Day