The New York Yankees want to add a right-handed hitting catcher, and the Minnesota Twins’ Ryan Jeffers still appears to be their most obvious target.
For a variety of reasons, three intriguing All-Stars — the Colorado Rockies’ Hunter Goodman, Athletics’ Shea Langeliers and Baltimore Orioles switch-hitter Adley Rutschman — are less likely to move.
The Twins, three games out in the AL wild-card race and five back in the Central, aren’t certain to trade Jeffers to the Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays or any other team in need of a catcher. But as written previously, Jeffers is a potential free agent who could bring back bullpen help, and the Twins could replace him with Victor Caratini and Alex Jackson.
Goodman (three years), Langeliers (two) and Rutschman (one) all come with additional club control beyond this season. Their respective teams are all in different positions, and Rutschman went on the injured Monday with left wrist inflammation.
Here is a look at where each catcher stands with his club, based on conversations with people familiar with those teams’ plans.
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Goodman: No rush to move him, if he moves at all
The Rockies are telling teams they spent the first part of the season trying to figure out which players can be part of their next 90-win team. Goodman, third in the majors with 30 home runs, including 18 on the road, obviously qualifies for that list.
An extension would ensure Goodman remains with the Rockies long-term. At some point, such a deal is possible. But if it doesn’t happen, the Rockies must decide: Can we get to 90 wins with Goodman by 2029, his final season under club control? Or would we be better off trading him for multiple players who could accelerate our timeline?
The Rockies, under new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes, need not make that decision right away.
Goodman, 26, is earning $810,000 in his final year before arbitration, and entered Monday ranked 12th in the majors with an .887 OPS. He will remain attractive in the offseason, when teams are both more flexible with their rosters and comfortable incorporating new catchers. Colorado will have several additional opportunities to trade him as well.
To reach 90 wins this season, the Rockies would need to finish 50-10. They almost certainly fall short of 90 next season as well, assume the pending lockout doesn’t wreck that campaign. Obviously, they need to stay open-minded. But to trade Goodman when they are unclear of what their future path looks like, they would need to be overwhelmed.
Third baseman Kyle Karros, 23, center fielder Cole Carrigg, 24, and first baseman TJ Rumfield, 26, also look like potential core players. The Athletic’s Keith Law liked the Rockies’ college-heavy draft. For Goodman, the Rockies wouldn’t want three Class-A lottery picks. They would want multiple high-end prospects who could help them reach 90 wins faster than Goodman could alone.
The Yankees, who also need to address their bullpen and add more than one player to their offense, would hesitate to meet such a price. Other clubs would, too.
Langeliers: Still part of A’s future
On the surface, listing Langeliers as a trade candidate makes sense.
Unlike four other Athletics position players — left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, shortstop Jacob Wilson, outfielder Lawrence Butler, designated hitter Brent Rooker – Langeliers has yet to sign a long-term extension. And with Scott Boras as his agent, it’s probably safe to say he won’t be agreeing to one anytime soon. Boras generally prefers his clients to establish their values on the open market.
So why not trade Langeliers when his value is soaring? For starters, the A’s have precious little catching depth behind Langeliers and Jonah Heim, who is eligible for free agency. Perhaps even more significant, Langeliers is under club control through 2028, the year the Athletics expect to open their new $2 billion ballpark on the Las Vegas strip — and a year in which they expect to contend.
Langeliers, 28, leads the A’s with 22 homers and is third on the club with a .819 OPS. And while the team has collapsed for the second straight year playing its home games at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, losing 15 of its last 18 games, it doesn’t want to crater further by trading one of its best players.
True, the A’s intended to take a step forward this season. Still, they weren’t built for 2026, and playing in a minor-league park might be hindering their pitching development. According to park factor, the run-scoring environment at Sutter Health the past two seasons is the second-most robust in the majors, behind only Coors Field.
Something else to consider with Langeliers: Teams consider catchers more valuable to teams than relievers, distinguishing him from where the A’s were with closer Mason Miller a year ago.
The A’s initially did not plan to move Miller, but ultimately parted with him and lefty JP Sears for a package led by shortstop Leo De Vries, whom Law recently ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the sport.
Miller has defied the usual concerns about reliever volatility with the San Diego Padres, pitching even better than he did with the A’s. But it is exceedingly rare for teams to acquire and develop All-Star catchers the way the A’s did with Langeliers, who was the prize of the Matt Olson trade in March 2022.
It would be one thing if the A’s could land a prospect as prized as De Vries for Langeliers. Yankees Triple-A shortstop George Lombard Jr., whom Law ranks No. 6, is nearly at that level, but might be close to untouchable. Besides, as the A’s try to build momentum, they need to remain as stable at catcher as possible.
Rutschman: Future uncertain
Trade Rutschman? Try keeping him on the field first. As noted by The Baltimore Sun’s Jacob Calvin Meyer, Rutschman’s latest trip to the IL is his fifth in the past 394 days.
Two weeks ago, when Rutschman was healthy and the Orioles’ season appeared lost, the team seemed likely to face a choice: Sign Rutschman to an extension before the deadline or trade him.
The Orioles since have won seven of eight games and now could be a buyer, but perhaps they should have made a decision on Rutschman sooner.
His injury, combined with the team’s surge, further reduces the already low odds of the Orioles trading him. It also underscores the risk of signing him — or any catcher, for that matter — long-term.
Rutschman’s eligibility for free agency after next season further complicates the matter.
Front offices weighing what to do with prominent 2027-28 free agents likely will face smaller windows than usual to act on them — the one month or so before the lockout begins, and then a brief period between the end of the lockout and spring training, assuming the owners and players reach an agreement in that time frame.
This is why the Orioles needed an earlier gauge on Rutschman’s value, both as a trade and extension candidate. But the urgency for an extension, if it ever existed among either party, likely diminished with Rutschman’s new injury.
Rutschman surely would prefer to negotiate while on a hot streak. The Orioles probably would be reluctant to rush into a deal while he is hurt, even though president of baseball operations Mike Elias has said he wants Rutschman “here forever.”
Elias clearly is not opposed to negotiating midseason. The Orioles on Saturday agreed with right-hander Kyle Bradish on a five-year, $90 million extension. Lefty Trevor Rogers could be next on the team’s list.
Rutschman during All-Star week told The Athletic he was open to such a deal. But that was before he went down again. He never was likely to be traded within the division to the Yankees or Rays. Now it appears his future with the team will remain uncertain, through the deadline and beyond.
