Should Rockies Give Up Their Star Catcher in This Trade Proposal?

Would this trade be smart for the Colorado Rockies?

Jun 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (15) looks on during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies are in a position where they should be sellers at the trade deadline.

While they don't have many difference makers on their roster, they do have enough intriguing pieces for contending teams that it should generate enough of a return for them to get back on track in their rebuilding process.

Former MLB executive Jim Bowden put together some trade ideas for The Athletic (subscription required), and one featured the Rockies in an interesting proposal.

Bowden has Colorado sending their rising star catcher Hunter Goodman to the Tampa Bay Rays for starting pitcher Taj Bradley and outfielder Theo Gillen.

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If this was something that both teams were interested in, would it benefit the Rockies to make this trade?

I don't think so.

Colorado needs foundational pieces they can build around, and it appears like Goodman is that type of player with his .282/.328/.518 slash line, 16 homers, 50 RBI and 1.8 fWAR through the first half.

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Bradley would be an improvement to the Rockies' rotation, but he has never finished a season with an ERA+ above the league average of 100, sitting with a career mark of 85 while owning an ERA of 4.76 across 65 outings (63 starts).

At 24 years old, he possesses high upside with his xERA being over a full run lower at 3.70 and a Stuff+ value being above the league average, but it's not a sure thing that he'll become an ace in Colorado.

Gillen is ranked second in the Rays' pipeline after being taken in the first round of the 2024 draft out of high school. He's flashed some of his tools with a .281/.449/.415 slash line, five homers and 13 RBI through 50 Single-A games this season.

He would be the most intriguing part of this trade package at 19 years old, and Bowden actually thinks the Rockies would be getting the better end of this deal by saying Tampa Bay would be overpaying to acquire Goodman.

However, perception matters.

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Colorado seems like they finally have a homegrown star on their hands, so to trade him in the midst of a historically poor season for this franchise would be a major slap in the face to the fans regardless if the return package could be spun in a way that suggests they are going to be better going forward.

Again, there's no guarantee that Bradley is going to become a future ace and that Gillen will be a star.

Goodman, on the other hand, is performing like the best player on the Rockies, so trading him for this package would be a mistake.

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