Yankees make it 'no secret' they want to trade for Rockies or Twins slugging catchers

The New York Yankees are 4.0 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East, and to make up the ground to win the division, they're going to need to make a move at this year's trade deadline.

While the bullpen, left side of the infield, and the rotation could all be needs, the catcher spot is the most obvious issue for this club. So, a recent report should come as little surprise.

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Yankees are "making it no secret" that they want to trade for one of two catchers this summer: Minnesota Twins' Ryan Jeffers or Colorado Rockies' Hunter Goodman.

Yankees want to trade for Ryan Jeffers or Hunter Goodman

"The Yankees are making it no secret that they want to acquire catcher Hunter Goodman of the Rockies or Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers," Nightengale writes.

This report shouldn't surprise any Yankees fans, especially when it comes to Jeffers. There might not be a player-team pairing made more than this one this far out from the trade deadline.

Jeffers has a .294 batting average with a .948 OPS and seven homers in 126 at-bats this season with 1.8 bWAR. He's been on the injured list for much of the year, but he's recently returned from the IL and hit a double in four at-bats.

As a one-year rental making $6.7 million, he's a lot more feasible of a trade target than any other trade target this summer, especially compared to Goodman.

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The Yankees might want to trade for Goodman, but the Rockies would be foolish to trade the 26-year-old slugger. He's under club control through the 2029 season, and is having an incredible 026 season.

He is an All-Star for the second time in his career, posting a .251 batting average with 27 homers and 2.2 bWAR with an .862 OPS before the All-Star break.

Colorado is not likely to trade Goodman, so of these two, Jeffers is the Yankees' best option. But, if nothing else, the Yankees are making it clear they would like to trade for either Jeffers or Goodman this summer.

Austin Wells hasn't been good enough offensively, and Brian Cashman's Yankees club could really use a slugger at the catcher spot, especially a right-hander like Jeffers or Goodman.

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