Predicting Yankees’ biggest move before MLB trade deadline

The New York Yankees are primed to be massive buyers at the MLB trade deadline. With Aaron Judge on the injured list, they limped their way through June. Even before their captain went out, the Bombers had a glaring need in their lineup. The Yankees desperately need a catcher, and they will land Hunter Goodman in their biggest deadline move.

The Yankees have used Austin Wells, JC Escarra, and Ali Sanchez as their catchers this season. After a second-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting in 2024, Wells has fallen off a cliff offensively. This year, he has a putrid .504 OPS with only eight extra-base hits in 66 games. Escarra and Sanchez are backup catchers who have not solved the problem created by Wells.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman recently said that the catching situation is a “problem.” That certainly points to a new catcher joining the Bombers’ organization before the August 3 trade deadline. The trade market is bleak, with so many middling teams sticking around the AL Wild Card race. That may take away their preferred catching solution.

The Yankees have made it known that they want Ryan Jeffers from the Minnesota Twins. But Minnesota enters the All-Star Break tied for the final spot in the Wild Card race. After last year’s fire sale, would Minnesota sell while in a playoff race? The Yankees may have to overpay to land Jeffers, which would lead them to a true seller.

The Colorado Rockies will certainly be sellers at the trade deadline, and Hunter Goodman could be on the move. Last year, the Yankees traded for Ryan McMahon from the Rockies, and even though Colorado has made front-office changes, that could point to another deadline deal. Goodman is the perfect fit for the Yankees, and they need to make the deal.

Why the Yankees need Hunter Goodman at the MLB trade deadline

Goodman has been an offensive star for the dreadful Rockies in the past two years. Last year, he posted an .843 OPS in 144 games, 98 of which came behind the plate. This year, he has an .863 OPS as Colorado’s primary catcher and their only true offensive threat.

The Yankees have plenty of offensive threats, including All-Star starters Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice. And when Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are in the lineup, they are hard to beat in the American League. But the bottom of their lineup has been miserable this year, mostly because of Wells and McMahon. Replacing Wells with Goodman should give them a lift, but it presents a risk.

The Rockies have not been able to use their home-field altitude advantage in recent years, but that doesn’t mean their players aren’t impacted. McMahon has an .817 career OPS at Coors Field, but has a .650 mark since joining the Yankees. While his glove has been solid since coming to The Bronx, his bat has let him down.

Goodman has an .824 career OPS at Coors Field, but does have a solid .777 mark on the road. This year, he has actually been much better on the road, a .964 mark compared to .747 on the road. This does not mean that there will be no adjustment period for Goodman in The Bronx, but it does leave open the possibility that he isn’t an offensive disaster like McMahon.

The Yankees need help offensively and can swing a big trade for a catcher before the deadline. They should call the Rockies back after last year’s deal to land Goodman, who could be the best catcher traded on August 3.

Who else could the Yankees target if they can’t land Hunter Goodman from the Colorado Rockies at the deadline?

The post Predicting Yankees’ biggest move before MLB trade deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints.