Reasonable Hunter Goodman trade packages to the Yankees, Pirates and Astros

The Colorado Rockies might not be any good, but Hunter Goodman continues to prove that he's one of the best catchers and power bats in the sport. He drilled three home runs on Sunday, giving him his second three-home run game in his last 16 contests and 30 long balls on the year. While, sure, he plays half the time at Coors Field, a hitters' paradise, his numbers away from home (18 HR, .964 OPS) are far better than his numbers in Colorado (12 HR, .801 OPS).

Goodman is as legit a slugger as there is, and his three additional years of club control make him insanely valuable. The Rockies could trade him if they're overwhelmed, but they have no reason to, as the 26-year-old could be part of their core for the foreseeable future. Here's what realistic offers for Goodman could look like to convince the Rockies to part with him.

Yankees can fix catcher weakness by trading for Hunter Goodman

The New York Yankees have a clear need at catcher given how much Austin Wells has struggled, and there isn't a better player for them to target than Goodman, whose right-handed bat would help balance out a left-handed-heavy lineup. The Yankees and Rockies have made several trades over the past year, and this could be the latest blockbuster they complete.

If there's one thing the Rockies need, it's pitching, and they'd be acquiring three pitchers in this deal. Luis Gil has only regressed since winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2024, but that was only a couple of years ago. Perhaps a change of scenery can help him get back on track. Kyle Carr earned a recent promotion to Triple-A, and while his numbers at that level don't jump off the stat sheet, his stuff and proximity to the majors should entice Colorado. Carlos Lagrange would be the best player in the package, as he's arguably the best pitching prospect in the Yankees' organization. He's injured right now, and that's never ideal, but he throws incredibly hard and has legitimate frontline upside if he can throw enough strikes.

Spencer Jones is more of a wild card in this deal. He strikes out a ton, and that's held him back in both of his big-league stints this season, but it's rare to see a player with the power and athleticism that he has. Plus, Goodman strikes out a lot too and has found success, perhaps Jones can too. As a third piece in the deal, the Rockies could do much worse.

I'm not sure the Rockies can land a starter with more upside than Lagrange, and pairing that with three players who have either appeared in or are close to the majors and can help them at positions of need makes this a deal that should pique their interest at the very least.

Pirates would create arguably the best lineup in the NL with Hunter Goodman

The Pittsburgh Pirates rank second in the majors in runs scored despite injury woes involving some of their best position players (Oneil Cruz, Konnor Griffin, Spencer Horwitz) and lackluster offensive production from their catchers. Acquiring Hunter Goodman won't bring Cruz, Griffin or Horwitz back any faster, but he'd certainly fix the lack of offense from the catcher position. It'd cost a haul, though.

Carmen Mlodzinski gives the Rockies an established mid-rotation starter to throw into their rotation, and he doesn't even hit arbitration until this offseason. Murf Gray has shot up prospect lists this season thanks to a season OPS that rests over 1.000. He began the year in Low-A and has already advanced through High-A to Double-A. Those would be two fantastic pieces to add from Colorado's perspective.

I'm not sure what Hunter Barco's ceiling is, but he's made seven big-league appearances (all out of the bullpen) and could be a back-end starter in their rotation. Zander Mueth is more of a lottery ticket, but he throws hard and generates a good amount of whiffs with his slider.

This would be a lot to give up for Pittsburgh, but Mlodzinski is clearly unhappy to not be in their rotation, and they'd be acquiring a player making the minimum this season, which is sure to please Bob Nutting. And for Colorado, they'd be acquiring a controllable starter they can feel confident in starting games for them (which is hard to find), a really intriguing prospect in Gray, a near-MLB-ready starter in Barco, and a worthwhile lottery ticket in Mueth. Not bad.

Hunter Goodman can help the Astros push for the playoffs

The Houston Astros might be seven games under .500, but they've made it clear they expect to buy and push for the postseason. While they can certainly use more pitching, they could also use an upgrade over Yainer Diaz, who has had a rough go of it. This package would help them improve.

The Rockies would be receiving a package headlined by Xavier Neyens, the No. 2 prospect in the Astros' organization who was selected in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft. Neyens is only 19 years old and is probably a couple of years away from the majors, but he'd instantly rival Ethan Holiday for the No. 1 prospect slot in this organization. Neyens wouldn't be the only good piece Colorado would be acquiring.

Yes, Yainer Diaz has not played well this season, but he's only a few years removed from being one of the best offensive catchers in the American League. He'd come with two additional years of control, and with a change of scenery, could pick up much of the slack lost by trading Goodman.

Additionally, the Rockies would be receiving two pitching prospects. Ethan Pecko doesn't have the highest of ceilings, but he's a strike thrower and is already in Triple-A. Ryan Forcucci's pro debut season hasn't gone quite as well as hoped coming off Tommy John Surgery, but he has as high a ceiling as any pitcher in this Astros' system thanks largely to an electric fastball.

The Rockies would be receiving a top 100 prospect in Neyens, a potential Goodman replacement in Diaz, and two pitchers who can conceivably help them in Pecko and Forcucci. That sounds like a pretty solid deal.

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