Hunter Goodman gets a night off on Friday

Sullivan took advantage of a start with Hunter Goodman (shoulder) out of the lineup again, and he made the most of it with a three-run homer off Keaton Winn. The 32-year-old has homered seven times as the backup backstop, and he’s driven 26 runs over 53 games.

The Rockies had been hopeful that Goodman would return to the lineup on Saturday but was ultimately scratched due to inflammation in his shoulder. If he isn’t ready to go for Monday’s series opener against the Dodgers, the Rockies may be forced to consider a backdated stint on the injured list. Brett Sullivan will once again fill in behind the dish and will bat eighth against the Giants on Sunday.

The Rockies had Goodman catching when they made the lineup, but now he’ll miss a second straight start. Brett Sullivan is playing in his place.

No need to DH him, apparently, given that it’s his non-throwing shoulder that’s bothering him. He’s batting cleanup against the Giants today.

On the surface, it appears to be nothing more than a routine day off for Goodman, but with trade rumors swirling around, perhaps they’re just taking an extra precaution in case someone is willing to match the “extremely high” price tag that has been placed on the prized slugger. Brett Sullivan will do the catching for the Rockies and bat eighth against Royals’ right-hander Seth Lugo.

It was starting to look like maybe the trade rumors were bothering Goodman, as he’d gone 0-for-12 with nine strikeouts in his previous three games. He’s now tied for second in the majors with 33 homers. He has two more than last year, when he set a record for Rockies catchers. Barring a trade or an injury, he’ll almost certainly become the first Rockies hitter to reach 40 homers since Nolan Arenado in 2019 and maybe the first to reach 45 since Todd Helton hit 49 in 2001 to tie the franchise record established by Larry Walker in 1997.

Feinsand’s update coincides with a report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosental earlier this week that the Rockies have been asking for a top prospect as part of any multi-player package. The 26-year-old slugging backstop is the rare hitter that is statistically better away from Coors Field’s high-octane offensive environment and should command a massive prospect haul, especially since he won’t reach free agency for three more years. Goodman would be one of the biggest names moved at the trade deadline and it seems like Colorado’s new-look front office, which features Paul DePodesta at the helm, will have to be blown away to consider jettisoning their lineup anchor.

It makes sense since Goodman is under team control for three more seasons and is hitting .254/.326/.545 this season in 100 games with 31 home runs, 60 RBI, and five steals. We know the Rockies have asked the Rays for Theo Gillen and have asked the Red Sox for Franklin Arias, both of whom are top ten prospects in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. As Rosenthal mentions, “it’s the usual dance,” as the Rockies expect teams to meet their offer, and the other teams expect the Rockies to lower their asking price. It remains more likely that Goodman stays in Colorado.

Goodman doubled and scored a run in the fifth inning. He then came through in a clutch spot for the Rockies in the eighth. With the game tied and two outs in the bottom of the inning, he took Clayton Beeter deep for a solo homer to put Colorado ahead and in line for the win. The 26-year-old backstop is having an outstanding season, hitting .257/.326/.565 with 31 homers, 64 runs scored, 57 RBI, and five steals across 393 plate appearances.

Goodman is third in the majors with 30 home runs and is under contract for three more seasons and is making just $810,000 this season in the final year before arbitration. As Rosenthal notes, the Rockies are under new leadership and “will have several additional opportunities to trade” Goodman this offseason and beyond. While it’s possible that Goodman is traded in a couple of weeks, the Rockies would need to receive a haul of players under team control for multiple years who they believe will be part of their core.