The Boston Red Sox may have flirted with Hunter Goodman at the trade deadline, but the idea of circling back for him now looks dead on arrival.
That’s the read from MLB insider Jon Heyman, who believes Boston is unlikely to chase the Colorado Rockies catcher again after already landing Adley Rutschman. And for the Red Sox, that matters. They didn’t make a light investment in Rutschman - they paid a massive price, sending four top prospects, including three from the organization’s top five, plus Carlos Narváez to get him.
That kind of move changes the board. Boston has to give Rutschman every chance to justify the cost in his walk year, and there’s even the possibility of working out an extension. Heyman also pointed to the risk of sending Anthony Eyanson to a division rival just to pivot away from Rutschman.
Still, Goodman remains a tantalizing name. The Rockies catcher put together a big year, hitting .245/.310/.529 with 20 doubles, two triples and 41 home runs across 138 games.
He also occupies a premium defensive spot, which only adds to his appeal. But Heyman said on his Bleacher Report livestream that there’s only a "slim chance" Goodman gets moved anywhere before the 2027 season.
Colorado’s asking price helps explain why. The Rockies reportedly wanted No. 1 prospects in return from interested teams, and for Boston that would have meant Franklin Arias - a name that was apparently off the table. The Los Angeles Angels also asked for Arias in a potential Zach Neto deal, and that one never got done either.
Goodman isn’t scheduled to reach free agency until after the 2026 season, and he’s still in his arbitration years, which means Colorado likely has little reason to soften its demands.
So for fans hoping the Red Sox would keep pushing for Goodman, the path seems blocked by the deal they already made. Rutschman’s stay in Boston may have started unevenly, but there’s still plenty of runway for him to make it work. He hit 13 home runs in 99 games this season despite the injury issues that have followed him over the last two years, and if he can stay healthy, the elite catcher has a chance to impact the Red Sox on both sides of the ball.
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