ESPN trade update on All-Star catcher is bad news for Yankees fans

ESPN trade update on All-Star catcher is bad news for Yankees fans originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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By now, it’s no secret that the New York Yankees would like to trade for a right-handed hitting catcher at the trade deadline. 

Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra, and Ali Sanchez, three of New York’s backstops, rank last in the Majors in OPS and wRC+. 

In their most recent trade deadline article, ESPN detailed that the Yankees should be one of the most aggressive organizations at the Aug. 3 deadline. 

Jorge Castillo wrote that the Yankees have called the Colorado Rockies about an All-Star catcher, but there’s a catch. 

“Landing [Hunter] Goodman could prove costly for another reason: He has three years of team control remaining beyond this season and would surely cost a team a substantial haul,” Castillo wrote.

Goodman is batting .254 with 27 home runs and a .863 OPS in 2026. That’s a significant offensive upgrade over Wells. 

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“The Yankees prefer to acquire players at the deadline who aren’t just short-term additions,” Castillo added. They have called on Goodman, though not recently, a source told ESPN.”  

New York is obviously interested in Goodman, but they haven’t called the Rockies in a while, an MLB source told ESPN, according to the report. 

It should take more than a prospect or two to acquire Goodman with three years remaining on his contract, but it may be worth it. 

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