The Yankees’ current skid has only sharpened the pressure on the front office to act before the August 3 trade deadline. New York has dropped seven straight, a stretch that includes sweeps by the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, and the roster clearly has holes that need attention. Third base is one possible area, but the bigger swing would be finding an upgrade over Austin Wells.
That’s where ESPN’s David Schoenfield enters the picture, linking the Yankees to Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman in a move that would be loud, expensive, and unlikely. Schoenfield’s own caveat says plenty about how tough this kind of deal would be to pull off.
“New York Yankees: Trade for Hunter Goodman,” Schoenfield writes. "... Goodman, who has bashed 26 home runs, would be a big get, but with three years of team control beyond 2026, he will be expensive to acquire and a position player with this much time until free agency is basically never traded at the deadline."
Goodman has been one of the standout bats in the game this season. The 26-year-old All-Star has launched 26 homers, owns a 2.0 bWAR across 81 games, and is carrying an .853 OPS. For a Yankees lineup looking for more punch, that profile jumps off the page.
Wells, by comparison, has struggled badly. In 57 games, he has posted -0.2 bWAR, hit four home runs, and slashed .488 OPS. On production alone, Goodman would be a major step up.
Of course, there’s no cheap way to get him. A deal like this would likely take a package built around Carlos Lagrange, George Lombard Jr., and perhaps more top prospects beyond that. The Rockies have little incentive to move Goodman, but if they ever do change course, the Yankees fit as a logical destination.
It’s the kind of rumor that makes sense on paper because the upgrade is obvious, even if the price is steep. And if New York were willing to pay it, Goodman would give the Yankees a much more dangerous look not just now, but heading into 2026 and beyond.
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