Should Yankees overpay for Rockies C Hunter Goodman?

The Yankees need a catcher, the Colorado Rockies are a bad team, but their backstop Hunter Goodman being a two-time All-Star is no accident.

The former Memphis Tiger was a .307 career hitter in college and has mashed 76 home runs since debuting in 2023. He is currently hitting .254 with 31 homers and a 120 wRC through 100 games, already matching his career high set last year.

There’s just one problem. Goodman is the last-place Rockies’ most consistent hitter, and he’s under team control through 2029. Barring a Godfather-level offer, he’s not going anywhere. In fact, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic already reports that three teams have checked in on Goodman: the Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox. Three AL East teams who desperately need catching help.

Additionally, Rosenthal reports that Colorado’s asking price is high. Multiplayer packages featuring teams’ top prospects. In the Rays’ and Red Sox’s case, that means outfielder Theo Gillen and infielder Franklin Arias. For context, both are 20 years old and Arias, currently batting .307 with 20 home runs across Double and Triple-A, is considered the No. 3 prospect in baseball.

That would mean the Yankees trading their own top prospect, shortstop George Lombard Jr. And Brian Cashman has given no indication Lombard is available.

This leaves New York in a tough spot. Former Rookie of the Year finalist Austin Wells’ hitting has tanked to the point where he just looks completely lost in the batters’ box anytime he isn’t drawing a walk. Ali Sanchez, his critical error in Wednesday’s extra-innings loss aside, was never the solution. It just became more justified to play him over J.C. Escarra.

Translation: the Yankees are desperate for a catcher. Ryan Jeffers seemed inevitable for a while, but the Twins are now buyers and more inclined to hang onto him. The rest of the market is thin too, with Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson and the Athletics’ Jonah Heim being the cheapest options. New York could also approach the Rangers about a reunion with former backup catcher Kyle Higashioka.

But none of those players holds a candle to Hunter Goodman. He’s a serious power threat despite owning the second-worst strikeout rate (K%) in baseball at 33.3%. And when you consider Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber has the worst K% and the Athletics’ Nick “Big Amish” Kurtz has the fifth-worst? The strikeouts suddenly look more frustrating than they do truly bad.

Moreover, the so-called “Coors Effect” isn’t really a thing with Goodman. Granted, he’s a .263 career hitter in Denver compared to .237 on the road, but his home runs? It’s a clean 50/50 split between his career 76: 38 each at home and on the road.

It’s even more prevalent this season. Goodman has hit 18 of his home runs on the road and is also batting .273 compared to .233 at Coors Field. Even if he stays put, Goodman is the best “available” catcher. Theoretically speaking, at least.

So, where does this leave the Yankees? Well, barring Jeffers suddenly being available, Cashman might not have a choice. Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton are all injured with no set return dates. The lineup is desperate for power, even of the literal boom-or-bust variety.

What’s more, the Yankees absolutely have the pieces to make a Hunter Goodman trade happen without giving up their top prospect in Lombard.

Rather, the Yankees should build their (bloated) trade package around two players: switch-hitting outfielder Jasson Dominguez and righty Will Warren. Dominguez has failed to find consistent power in pinstripes, but his hit tool is strong enough that he could thrive in Colorado independent of the Coors effect. Warren, meanwhile, is 0-4 with a 6.45 ERA since June 1 after starting 7-1 with a 3.22 ERA and will be the odd man out once Carlos Rodon is healthy again.

Coors isn’t the best place for him, but the Rockies will want MLB-ready pitching in any package. That includes Warren and, potentially, righty prospect Elmer Rodriguez. Brendan Beck and Ben Hess are also names the Rockies (and any trade partner) should consider. What about big lefty outfielder Spencer Jones and his unbelievable raw power?

Thus, Cashman and the Yankees are at a fork in the road. Do they overpay for Hunter Goodman and gamble on his bat following him to the Bronx? Or do they play it safe and pursue either Heim’s platoon bat or Stephenson’s (albeit below average) consistency?

It’s also worth noting that none of the three are particularly strong defensive catchers. Heim and Stephenson’s blocks above average are in the 70th and 97th percentiles, respectively, but that’s it. They can’t frame pitches well or throw out base stealers.

But again, the Yankees’ lineup is near-depleted. The team needs one big bat to help shoulder the load until Judge or Bellinger comes back. Let’s not get our hopes up on Stanton.

This means that if Cashman is serious about improving the catching position, Goodman should be top priority.

Especially with both the Red Sox and Rays sniffing around those three years of team control.