The Yankees are clearly shopping in the catcher aisle as the August 3 trade deadline gets closer, and two names keep surfacing: Adley Rutschman and Hunter Goodman.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, New York has been one of several teams calling the Colorado Rockies about Goodman. Heyman also reported that the Yankees have checked in with the Baltimore Orioles on Rutschman and the Cincinnati Reds on Tyler Stephenson, along with a number of other catchers around the league.
“Yankees are among many teams talking to the Rockies about Hunter Goodman,” Heyman reported. “Still seen as less than 50-50 Goodman is dealt anywhere.
The 2-time All-Star has 3 more years of control. NYY also has checked on Adley Rutschman, Tyler Stephenson, and many other catchers.”
That lines up with the sense around the market: catching looks like the priority for New York. Rutschman and Goodman have both been discussed for weeks, and both players fit the kind of upgrade the Yankees appear to be chasing.
Rutschman, 28, has been limited to 67 games this season because of injuries, but he’s still put together a solid offensive line when available. In 247 at-bats, he has 62 hits, eight home runs, and 47 RBIs, with a .251 batting average and .331 OBP.
Goodman has been the hotter name of the two. The two-time All-Star is in the middle of a career year, posting 95 hits, 31 home runs, 60 RBIs, and five stolen bases in 374 at-bats. He’s hitting .254 with a .326 OBP, both career highs, and his 31 homers match his career best.
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