The Red Sox are in the thick of the American League race, and that alone makes the next 12 days worth watching. With the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline set for Aug. 3, Boston sits three games above .500 at 51-48 and has a chief baseball officer in Craig Breslow who has shown he’s willing to make a move if the right one comes along.
Boston’s roster has already clawed its way back into the mix with strong pitching, sharp defense and an offense that has taken a step forward. Still, the lineup has a clear soft spot: power in the middle. If the Red Sox can add that kind of bat, they’d give themselves a real chance to make noise down the stretch.
That’s why Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman is starting to look like a name to watch. ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel listed the Red Sox among the “best fits” for Goodman, and Boston wasn’t alone. The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays were also included, setting up the possibility of an American League East battle for one of the market’s most intriguing bats.
“No. 8.
Hunter Goodman, C, Colorado Rockies,” McDaniel and Passan wrote. “Chance of being traded: 15 percent.
Rest-of-season impact: High. Years of control: Three more years after 2026. ...
He has evolved into one of the best power hitters in baseball, following his 31-homer breakout last season with 30 pumps through the Rockies' first 101 games.
"As much as the Rockies have waited years for another homegrown star, they are in such a dire pitching situation that Goodman at least offers them an opportunity to land high-ceiling arms. ... Best fits: Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Rangers, Rays."
The numbers explain the appeal. Goodman has 30 homers and 56 RBIs in 93 games, and he comes with three more seasons of team control after 2026. He also fills a position of need for Boston behind the plate, while giving any contender a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden also made the case for a Goodman deal, though the mock trade he proposed was too expensive for Boston’s liking.
The idea of the Red Sox and Yankees circling the same player adds another layer to the deadline. In recent memory, both clubs chased Juan Soto, and neither landed him.
They also went after Max Fried, who wound up with the Yankees. Boston responded by landing Garrett Crochet before the 2025 season, a move that worked out well for the Red Sox.
This time, the Rays are the team sitting on top of the division. Tampa Bay leads the Yankees by two games and Boston by 6 1/2, but the standings are tight enough that the deadline could matter a lot in the race. Goodman is the kind of hitter who could tilt things on his own, which is why it matters that all three AL East teams were linked to him by one of the sport’s most prominent insiders.
Now it comes down to who actually makes the move.
In Other News...
Rockies Suddenly Hold One Of The Deadlines Most Coveted Catchers
As the trade deadline approaches, Colorado has quietly become one of the more interesting teams to watch simply because of what it has behind the plate. Hunter Goodman has emerged as a rare catching option with real power, and his production has naturally drawn attention from clubs looking for offense at a premium position. For a Rockies team that is always thinking about roster value, having a catcher with that kind of profile and club control through 2029 makes him a particularly intriguing piece.
The appeal goes beyond a short-term rental, which is why the market around him could get complicated fast. Teams in need of catching help do not often find an option with both established power and years of control, and that combination tends to drive up the price when July shopping gets serious. For Colorado, the question is whether that interest turns into the kind of deadline leverage that can reshape the conversation around one of its most valuable players. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Face A Familiar Problem After Their Wild Comeback Win
After a wild 8-7 comeback win over Washington, Colorado turns right back to the same sort of challenge that has followed it all season: trying to carry one big offensive burst into a more stable stretch of baseball. The Rockies will try to keep the momentum going in the series finale with Gabriel Hughes lined up to start, and the matchup brings another layer of uncertainty as they continue sorting out what this roster can be in the short term.
The lineup is also heading into unfamiliar territory against Cade Cavalli, with very little recent history for Colorado hitters to lean on. For a club still weighing how much value it can squeeze from the rest of the season, every game like this matters a little more than the standings suggest, especially as the Rockies keep one eye on the field and another on how certain pieces fit into the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]