NEW YORK — The Yankees spent most of the 2026 trade deadline chasing Hunter Goodman, Colorado’s 41-homer catcher. But it went without a deal. For most of the fall, that door looked shut.
It may be opening again, and the push is coming from an unexpected place. It has little to do with the Yankees and everything to do with baseball’s labor calendar.
The collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1. With a possible lockout ahead, clubs are hesitant to deal for players who could reach free agency in a year. That uncertainty is changing how some sellers value what they hold, including players like Goodman who are nowhere near free agency.
One seller in particular appears more open for business than it was in midsummer. And it controls the bat the Yankees wanted most.
The Colorado Rockies have softened their stance and are now seen as more willing to trade Goodman, a two-time All-Star, this offseason, according to MLB Network insider Jon Morosi.
Why the Rockies softened their stance on Goodman
In the summer, the Rockies set a steep price. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported before the deadline that Colorado asked suitors for multi-player packages that included their No. 1 overall prospects.
The Yankees talked with Colorado about Goodman then, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. They also checked on Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman and Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson. Links to Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers went nowhere as well.
Goodman stayed in Denver, and the Yankees went into October with the same catching group. Now the market around Goodman looks different, and the Rockies’ stance appears softer.
Morosi points to the labor clock
Morosi shared the update on X on Wednesday night. He tied Colorado’s softer stance directly to the contract status that sets Goodman apart from most trade chips this winter.
“Rival MLB teams believe the Rockies are more willing to move All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman this offseason than they were at the trade deadline,” Morosi wrote. “One reason: While labor uncertainty is making it difficult to trade pending free agents, he is under control through 2029.”
For the Yankees, that control cuts both ways. It makes Goodman easier to move in an uncertain market. It also gives Colorado every reason to keep asking for a premium return.
What a 41-homer catcher with three years of control is worth
Goodman would not be a rental for the Yankees or any other buyer. He is set to enter arbitration for the first time this winter, with three seasons of club control remaining.
MLB Trade Rumors projects his 2027 salary at $6.2 million. That is a modest figure for Goodman, who is coming off one of the best power seasons the position has produced.
The catcher hit .245 with 41 home runs, 88 RBIs and an .839 OPS in 138 games in 2026. He became only the eighth catcher to reach 40 homers in a season, according to a Rockies season review.
Goodman led National League primary catchers in home runs and total bases, MLB.com reported. His 25 road homers also broke Johnny Bench’s 1972 NL record of 24.
The road numbers matter for the Yankees. They answer the familiar question about Coors Field. Goodman’s power traveled.
The price tag remains the obstacle
Colorado’s needs have not changed. The Rockies’ staff ranked last in the majors with a 5.48 ERA in August, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter noted. Pitching remains their top priority in any deal.
That points straight toward the Yankees’ farm system and its pitching depth. ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel identified high-ceiling arms as the Rockies’ main target in a Goodman trade. Elmer Rodriguez, Carlos Lagrange and Ben Hess were singled out this summer as the Yankees’ best pitching prospects to fit that profile.
Defense is the other variable. Teams raised concerns about Goodman behind the plate at the deadline, FanSided’s Robert Murray reported. A buyer may weigh his bat against his glove before matching Colorado’s ask.
Where the Yankees’ catching plan stands without Goodman
For now, Austin Wells remains the Yankees’ starting catcher. He is arbitration-eligible this winter, with J.C. Escarra and defense-first Ali Sanchez also on the roster. Ben Rice has caught before but does not appear to be in the catching plans.
Jeffers is available in free agency as a lower-cost alternative for the Yankees. Goodman would cost far more in talent and offer far more at the plate.
Morosi’s report did not point to active talks with any club. But with the Rockies more willing to listen and the Dec. 1 deadline approaching, the window for the Yankees to revisit Goodman is open again.
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