With the Aug. 3 trade deadline creeping closer by the day, Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman has basically become the franchise’s walking, talking rumor mill. The two-time All-Star is 26, crushing the ball this season and leading the club in homers, giving Colorado the kind of right-handed thunder that contenders love when they are thin at catcher and short on power. In Denver, fans and front-office number crunchers are locked on one question: is any trade return rich enough to justify dealing one of the team’s breakout stars?
As reported by The Denver Post, several American League East heavyweights, including the Rays, Yankees and Red Sox, have been lighting up Colorado’s phones about Goodman. Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta told The Denver Post he has received “ample interest” and called Colorado a “clear deadline seller,” but he also made it clear that any deal has to bring back pieces that are “really meaningful.” Those comments have only pushed Goodman higher on contenders’ internal wish lists as the clock ticks.
Why Teams Are Calling
The mix of big-time power and multiple years of team control is exactly what makes Goodman such a hot commodity. MLB.com slots him among the top trade targets and notes that he is under club control through the 2029 season. On top of that, he has already launched 31 homers this year, which has quickly turned him into one of the most feared right-handed bats in the game.
Strange Splits, Big Tools
Statcast data from Baseball Savant pegs Goodman’s max exit velocity at 116.2 mph with a barrel rate around 17.6 percent, numbers that plant him firmly in the upper tier of MLB power hitters. Those advanced stats also highlight one of the quirks of his season. Goodman has actually hit better on the road in 2026, posting more homers and a higher OPS away from Coors Field than in Denver. That rare reverse split for a Rockies slugger is a big reason contenders are confident his power will play just fine in their parks.
Cheap Control, Hefty Price
For a 26-year-old All-Star, Goodman is still a bargain. FanGraphs lists his 2026 salary at roughly $810,000, and his age plus contract status give the Rockies real leverage. That combination of low short-term cost and multiple years of control makes him an appealing investment for any contender that wants thunder in the lineup without a long-term financial hit. For Colorado, every offer has to be measured against the value of keeping a young, controllable middle-of-the-order bat in Denver.
Late-Inning Muscle
Goodman has also built a reputation for making noise when the lights are brightest. He leads the majors with 11 homers in the seventh inning or later this season, a run that includes a go-ahead solo shot on July 21 at Coors Field. A recap from Field Level Media detailed how that late bomb flipped the game in Colorado’s favor, another example of the kind of clutch power that front offices tend to pay extra for.
Deadline Decision Looms
The non‑waiver Trade Deadline hits Monday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET, giving clubs only a short window to make a serious push for Goodman or move on to Plan B. MLB.com has the key calendar details, and the buzz around the league is that the Rockies will wait for a package that can speed up their rebuild instead of settling for a modest rental-style return. For Denver fans, that sets up a tense stretch of rumor-tracking and roster-watching, with the very real chance that a blockbuster deal materializes if one contender is willing to pay the Rockies’ asking price.
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