Hunter Goodman has put himself in a spot few catchers ever reach: he’s producing like a middle-of-the-order bat, he’s under team control for three more years, and he’s already back in the All-Star Game for the second straight season. That combination makes him one of the most intriguing trade chips in baseball, even if he’s not the kind of player teams usually expect to see moved.
Goodman’s 2026 season has kept him firmly in the spotlight. His batting average has dipped to .254, but his OPS has climbed to .870, and he’s already launched 27 home runs. For a catcher, that kind of offensive output stands out immediately.
That’s exactly why the Rockies could get a serious return if they ever decide to deal him. A player with Goodman’s production, positional value, and remaining control would bring back a haul, and Colorado badly needs help in areas where it’s been getting buried.
Pitching is the obvious one. The Rockies sit last in the league with a 5.54 team ERA, and the organization doesn’t have much pitching help waiting in the upper reaches of the farm system. Most of the arms in the system are still down in the lower levels.
The good news for Colorado is that the lineup has enough depth to absorb a move like this. After last year’s brutal offensive showing, the Rockies are eighth in baseball at 4.87 runs per game through games played July 5. Beyond Goodman, six other players have posted a wRC+ above 100 this season.
There’s also the financial side of it. For a small-payroll club, the question of whether it will ever commit long-term money to a player like Goodman hangs over the whole situation. If the answer is no, then moving him now starts to make a lot more sense.
For a rebuilding team, these are the kinds of calls that can shape the next phase. Trading Goodman would be a difficult decision, but it would also be the sort of quiet, valuable move that helps a club stockpile the pieces it needs to be taken seriously again.
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What makes this one trickier is the pitching question, which in Denver is never just about stuff or pedigree. Colorado is studying why some arms translate at altitude and others do not, a search that has to inform every decision without becoming a crutch. The Rockies have had some encouraging recent draft results, but the broader test remains whether this front office can turn a philosophy into a first-round pick that holds up over time. [Read more 🡒]