The New York Yankees want to add a right-handed hitting catcher, and the Minnesota Twins\u2019 Ryan Jeffers still appears to be their most obvious target.<\/p>\n
For a variety of reasons, three intriguing All-Stars \u2014 the Colorado Rockies\u2019 Hunter Goodman, Athletics\u2019 Shea Langeliers and Baltimore Orioles switch-hitter Adley Rutschman \u2014 are less likely to move.<\/p>\n
The Twins, three games out in the AL wild-card race and five back in the Central, aren\u2019t certain to trade Jeffers to the Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays or any other team in need of a catcher. But as written previously<\/a>, Jeffers is a potential free agent who could bring back bullpen help, and the Twins could replace him with Victor Caratini and Alex Jackson.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Here is a look at where each catcher stands with his club, based on conversations with people familiar with those teams\u2019 plans.<\/p>\n Ken\u2019s Week in Baseball: What will the Mets do with Francisco Lindor?<\/p>\n Ken Rosenthal<\/p>\n Goodman: No rush to move him, if he moves at all<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n An extension would ensure Goodman remains with the Rockies long-term. At some point, such a deal is possible. But if it doesn\u2019t 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?<\/p>\n The Rockies, under new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes, need not make that decision right away.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n Third baseman Kyle Karros, 23, center fielder Cole Carrigg, 24, and first baseman TJ Rumfield, 26, also look like potential core players. The Athletic\u2019s Keith Law liked the Rockies\u2019 college-heavy draft<\/a>. For Goodman, the Rockies wouldn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n The Yankees, who also need to address their bullpen and add more than one player<\/a> to their offense, would hesitate to meet such a price. Other clubs would, too.<\/p>\n Langeliers: Still part of A\u2019s future<\/p>\n On the surface, listing Langeliers as a trade candidate makes sense.<\/p>\n Unlike four other Athletics position players \u2014 left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, shortstop Jacob Wilson, outfielder Lawrence Butler, designated hitter Brent Rooker \u2013 Langeliers has yet to sign a long-term extension. And with Scott Boras as his agent, it\u2019s probably safe to say he won\u2019t be agreeing to one anytime soon. Boras generally prefers his clients to establish their values on the open market.<\/p>\n So why not trade Langeliers when his value is soaring? For starters, the A\u2019s 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 \u2014 and a year in which they expect to contend.<\/p>\n Langeliers, 28, leads the A\u2019s with 22\u00a0homers 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\u2019t want to crater further by trading one of its best players.<\/p>\n True, the A\u2019s intended to take a step forward this season. Still, they weren\u2019t 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<\/a>, behind only Coors Field.<\/p>\n Something else to consider with Langeliers: Teams consider catchers more valuable to teams than relievers, distinguishing him from where the A\u2019s were with closer Mason Miller a year ago.<\/p>\n The A\u2019s 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n Miller has defied the usual concerns about reliever volatility with the San Diego Padres, pitching even better than he did with the A\u2019s. But it is exceedingly rare for teams to acquire and develop All-Star catchers the way the A\u2019s did with Langeliers, who was the prize of the Matt Olson trade in March 2022.<\/p>\n It would be one thing if the A\u2019s could land a prospect as prized as De Vries for Langeliers. Yankees Triple-A shortstop George Lombard Jr.<\/a>, whom Law ranks No. 6, is nearly at that level, but might be close to untouchable. Besides, as the A\u2019s try to build momentum, they need to remain as stable at catcher as possible.<\/p>\n Rutschman: Future uncertain<\/p>\n Trade Rutschman? Try keeping him on the field first. As noted by The Baltimore Sun\u2019s Jacob Calvin Meyer, Rutschman\u2019s latest trip to the IL is his fifth in the past 394 days<\/a>.<\/p>\n Two weeks ago, when Rutschman was healthy and the Orioles\u2019 season appeared lost, the team seemed likely to face a choice: Sign Rutschman to an extension before the deadline or trade him.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n His injury, combined with the team\u2019s surge, further reduces the already low odds of the Orioles trading him. It also underscores the risk of signing him \u2014 or any catcher, for that matter \u2014 long-term.<\/p>\n Rutschman\u2019s eligibility for free agency after next season further complicates the matter.<\/p>\n Front offices weighing what to do with prominent 2027-28 free agents likely will face smaller windows than usual to act on them \u2014 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.<\/p>\n This is why the Orioles needed an earlier gauge on Rutschman\u2019s 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\u2019s new injury.<\/p>\n