With the deadline bearing down, catching depth is usually the thinnest spot on any contender's shopping list, and this year Ken Rosenthal handed teams a cheat sheet. His latest column names Hunter Goodman of the Rockies, Shea Langeliers of the Athletics and Adley Rutschman of the Orioles as the three All-Stars behind the plate whose situations are worth monitoring before the deadline hits.
Rosenthal flagged the story as free to read, framing where each of the three catchers currently stands.
Three All-Star catchers are trade candidates — here’s where each stands. Story unlocked and free to read: https://t.co/ZHxyvCYnqY
None of the three is a layup, though. Goodman just turned 26 and still has three more years of club control after this season, so Colorado has zero urgency to move him even while the Rockies scuffle. Langeliers is the name generating the most buzz — he's an All-Star for the first time, hitting for real power, and still unsigned to an extension despite teammates locking in around him. That's usually the profile of a guy who gets moved.
Except the Athletics have reportedly told other teams they have zero interest in trading him. With the franchise's relocation to Las Vegas still on the horizon for 2028, Oakland's front office appears to view Langeliers as a foundational piece for that future roster, not a rental chip to flip for prospects now.
Rutschman is the most complicated case of the three. He's been dealing with a left wrist injury that's put him on the injured list again this season — his third IL stint of the year after also missing time with a concussion and ankle inflammation — and that recurring injury history has only clouded his trade value further. Baltimore's own surge back into contention has made moving its former No. 1 overall pick and franchise catcher even less likely than it already was.
So what Rosenthal actually delivered isn't a trade forecast — it's a watchlist with an asterisk on every name. Goodman's under control too long to rush, Langeliers' team says he's not for sale, and Rutschman's health and Baltimore's win streak are working against a deal. Still, with two weeks left before the deadline, all it takes is one desperate GM and one changed mind to turn any of these three into the biggest story of deadline week.