New MLB Trade Rumors on Yankees, Rays, Twins, Rockies, A's and Catchers Eyed Ahead of 2026 Deadline

Even though playoff contenders like the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays are in need of help at catcher for the stretch run, the market for that position doesn't appear to be very robust leading up to the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Ryan Jeffers is viewed as the "most obvious target" to fill the catching void for the Yankees even though the Minnesota Twins "aren't certain" to move him despite his pending free agency after this season.

Rosenthal also cited Hunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies, Shea Langeliers of the Athletics and Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles as being a"less likely" to be moved than Jeffers.

Per ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan, the Orioles are "certainly listening" to offers for Rutschman even though they "aren't exactly looking" to trade the three-time All-Star.

Rutschman's status hit a speed bump on Monday when he was placed on the injured list due to wrist inflammation. It's his third IL stint of the season and fifth since the start of the 2025 campaign.

It's also not clear if the Orioles will sell at the deadline after winning seven straight games before a 6-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Monday. Their 49-52 record isn't strong, but they are only three games out of a wild card spot in the AL.

The Rockies are taking a similar approach with Goodman that the Orioles are with Rutschman, as McDaniel and Passan noted they aren't "looking" to move him but they "won't hang up" the phone if a team calls.

As for Langeliers, McDaniel and Passan reported the A's have told opposing teams they have "zero desire" to trade him even though they always listen to any offers that might be presented.

The Yankees and Rays might have had difficulty acquiring Rutschman even if he weren't injured and the Orioles were definitively looking to sell because Baltimore might not want to trade him within the division.

It's also hard to figure out Rutschman's value because of the injury issues that have limited him to 157 games since the start of 2025. He has had a strong bounce-back year in 2026 when healthy with his 2.3 fWAR nearly double his total output from last season (1.2).

Rutschman is also hitting .251/.331/.433, with his .764 OPS on pace to be his best since 2023.

Another reason that Rutschman, Goodman and Langeliers might not be on the move is their contract status. Rutschman is under team control through 2027; Langeliers has two more years of arbitration; and Goodman's first year of arbitration isn't until 2027.

Given how rough the starting pitching has been for the Orioles, A's and Rockies, trading catchers under team control beyond this season could help them bring back talent to fill that void.

But it also requires them to find an immediate starting replacement at catcher, which is typically one of the most difficult positions to find a quality starter.

The Yankees are a good example of this because they have the second-worst catching group in MLB by fWAR entering Tuesday. The Rays are better at No. 16 in that same category, but they could use help in their quest to solidify their status as a World Series contender.

Tampa and New York are currently embroiled in a battle for the top spot in the AL East and best record in the American League.

The Rays lead the Yankees by 1.5 games, though both of them also have to keep an eye on the surging Boston Red Sox amid their 14-game winning streak that has moved them within six games of the division lead.