Rockies don’t necessarily need to trade 2x All-Star Hunter Goodman

We’re close to the MLB trade deadline which means teams are calling the Colorado Rockies like crazy to see if they’re willing to unload any of their top talent like catcher, Hunter Goodman.

It’s clear that the Rockies are in a rebuilding window with president of baseball operations, Paul DePodesta and newly hired general manager, Josh Byrnes.

Both guys have had success within the big leagues and came to Colorado with a vision on how to win with the Rockies and trading their only all-star might not be an option.

There are plenty of reports and rumors out there suggesting that teams are interested in Goodman which comes as no surprise since he is one of the hottest bats in baseball.

According to ESPN.com, Hunter Goodman has turned into one of the best power hitters in baseball. “Goodman was never even a top-10 prospect for the Rockies, lurking underneath the radar with his powerful right-handed stroke and enough chops to remain at catcher even as there were calls for him to move to first base. He has evolved into one of the best power hitters in baseball, following his 31-homer breakout last season with 30 pumps through the Rockies’ first 101 games.”

“As much as the Rockies have waited years for another homegrown star, they are in such a dire pitching situation that Hunter Goodman at least offers them an opportunity to land high-ceiling arms. Colorado is not looking to deal him, but should the right suitor call, new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta certainly won’t hang up.”

Former MLB general manager, Jim Bowden threw out a trade scenario on July 20 suggesting that the Red Sox send a trade package to Colorado for their 26-year-old catcher.

Bowden says the Red Sox would receive Goodman and the Rockies would get LHP Connelly Early, RHP Kyson Witherspoon, SS Marcelo Mayer, and C Carlos Narvaez.

This move would “improve their starting rotation with long-term solutions, and Early and Witherspoon would do just that,” Bowden said.

Right now, Early is on the injured list with elbow inflammation, but is expected to return later this season. In 17 starts, Early has an ERA of 3.44 which is better of any of the Rockies’ current starters.

Witherspoon is first-round pick of the 2025 draft and is currently pitching in High A. The 21-year-old is also Boston’s 4th ranked prospect in their farm system.

Mayer and Narvaez are players that have made it to the big leagues, but haven’t performed well yet. Neither have hit close to .300 and the Rockies would have to hope that a change of scenery with those two would help their bats dramatically.

According to writer and reporter Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Rockies are not in a rush to move Hunter Goodman.

“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,” per Rosenthal. The purple and black haven’t won 90 games since their 2018 season.

Can the Rockies get to 90 wins with their superstar catcher before his contract is up in 2029?

Right now, the Rockies have some promising young talent already up in the big leagues like TJ Rumfield, Cole Carrigg, Kyle Karros, and Troy Johnston. Three of the four youngsters are hitting close to .300 except for Karros, but he’s been a late bloomer this season by hitting just .260 along with nine home runs. All four have an on base percentage .355 and above with Rumfield leading the way at .379 as a rookie.

The Rockies also have some potential super star power in the minors right now with Charlie Condon, Ethan Holliday, and Boldy Brito. All three are the Rockies’ top three prospects and should be called up before 2029.

Colorado also drafted some talent this summer with three first-round picks that should make their way up to the big leagues quickly. Tyler Bell is a shortstop from Kentucky that was the 10th ranked player in the draft, per MLB.com. The Rockies also drafted power hitter, Daniel Jackson from Georgia who was the player of the year in college and won the triple crown in the SEC this season. The very next pick, Colorado drafted right-handed pitcher Logan Reddemann from UCLA who’s fastball can touch 99 mph.

Right now, the Rockies’ future looks promising and that they might be able to hit that 90-win mark by 2029.

There’s also the argument that the Rockies should trade their top hitter right now because he’ll be older by 2029 and he might not hit as many home runs as he’s hitting now. There’s some evidence to debunk that argument.

In 2013, the Rockies had Michael Cuddyer in their lineup at the age of 34. He went on to hit 20 home runs and won the batting title by hitting .331 over 130 games.

Even in 2017, the Rockies put veteran Mark Reynolds into the lineup and he hit 30 home runs at the age of 33. Another example was CJ Cron who hit 28 and 29 long shots at 31 and 32-years-old.

At the age of 29, Carlos Gonzalez hit 40 and 25 more the following season. When Charlie Blackmon went from 29-years-old to 32, he averaged 31.7 home runs per season.

Right now, Hunter Goodman is on pace to hit 48 home runs which would be the second-most in a single season for the Rockies behind Todd Helton and Larry Walker who both hit 49.

It’s safe to say that if the Rockies are able to get a trade offer that they can’t refuse, they’ll likely make the trade, but it has to be a team’s top pitching and hitting prospects.

If the Rockies don’t make the trade, they might have a fan favorite that can be a leader in the clubhouse for the young and elite talent making their way up sooner than later.

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