3 Top Trade Landing Spots for Hunter Goodman

The Colorado Rockies, as always, are bringing up the rear in the National League West Division. But one player who certainly has not disappointed is catcher Hunter Goodman. Now a two-time All-Star, the 26-year-old backstop leads the NL in slugging, at .559. His 31 homers match his total for last season, with more than two months still to play. 

His name has been mentioned on the rumor mill as a special trade piece the Rockies could wield at the deadline, but it says here they'd be insane to let this guy go. 

Nevertheless, insiders Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN say there's at least a chance that the slugging backstop could be on the move.

"As much as the Rockies have waited years for another homegrown star, they are in such a dire pitching situation that 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."

Here are the top 3 potential trade destinations for Hunter Goodman if the Rockies do the unthinkable. And you just know who's at the top of the list for a robust catcher:

New York Yankees

The Bronx Bombers have been linked to Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers as a target for most of the season. But a funny thing happened on the way to the trade deadline for the Twins: They're still in the Wild Card race, just 2.5 games back as of Saturday in the weak AL. They might not sell. And if that's the case, the Yanks will be desperate to look elsewhere to solve their dreadful catching situation. 

The Pinstripers rank 29th of 30 teams from the catcher spot in OPS (.530), slugging (.269) and batting average (.179) and dead last in RBIs. They could go that extra distance in an offer to entice the Rockies.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox & Yankees are used to doing battle in the standings, and on the trade front. Boston will also try to land Goodman if he's gettable. They have only 3 HRs from their catchers this season, dead last in baseball. 

Tampa Bay Rays

Sticking with the AL East, the Rays are the leaders in the division, and they, too, can use a big upgrade at the catching spot. The Rays aren't getting much from Nick Fortes and Hunter Feduccia, and the All-Star Goodman can take care of that. The Rays have some elite prospects to offer.