Could the Red Sox Make a Play for Adley Rutschman?

It’s deadline week and the Red Sox have already set off the first set of fireworks to kick off the festivities. They parted ways with young pitcher Connelly Early for Curtis Mead in another one for one swap. This is only the beginning. The Red Sox are very well going to be active and are hoping to land some depth pitching. For a fan, at the top of the wish list is Luke Weaver, who would be dynamite in the back of the bullpen.

The Red Sox shouldn’t be done when it comes to life at the plate. Mead checks off all the boxes that you’ve been seeking, but there is room for more. Are they going to go nuts and get a Yordan Alvarez type? Probably not. But the one thing they have been linked to is the catcher position. Even though the Shea Langeliers dream is dead, the catcher they should go out and get is Adley Rutschman.

AP Photo/ Terrance Williams

Reason why I do not say Hunter Goodman is because the asking price for him is going to be astronomical. It’s not being a prospect hoarder, but it would take a large chunk of the farm that has huge upside to bring him in. Rightfully so on the Rockies front asking for that price. Rutschman could cost a pretty penny as well, but worth that price.

Per Jeff Passan on his podcast Sources Tell All, the Orioles have talked to other teams about Rutschman. By all accounts, the reporting on that front has been correct and he is indeed available. The catcher market could be hot and heavy, with the Yankees and Rays in the mix for the position. Craig Breslow should be working the phones like he has been and make that call for Rutschman. Like Mead, adding Rutschman checks off boxes and gives the Red Sox much needed production at the catcher position.

When it comes to the catcher position, the Red Sox rank 24th in wRC+ and 23rd in OPS. They have been one of the least productive units offensively at the position. Sure, they’ve been able to hit fairly well for average, but power is nowhere to be found. Enter Rutschman.

Rutschman is enjoying a nice power surge. Rutschman took the league by storm when he entered the league and was slugging .445 and saw it slightly drop to .435 with a heavier workload. Needless to say, he was still hitting and was a good impact hitter. Then the power dropped a bit. Despite hitting 19 home runs in 2024, Rutschman saw his slugging percentage drop from .435 to .391. Injuries absolutely derailed his season in 2025 and it ended up being the worst season of his professional career.

He came in with the right attitude and worked hard. His goal was to be healthy, available, and simply better. Rutschman made mechanical changes to his swing, shortening the distance between his feet and also being a bit less open (going from 16 degrees open to 8). Also, he adjusted his hands which allowed him to give his elbow more room to work through the zone.

This has translated to a much better season for Rutschman, as the power has risen. He’s slugging .433 (highest it’s been in two seasons), and has an OPS of .764. His isolated power (ISO) is the highest it’s been since his rookie season. He’s on pace to have more doubles than what he’s produced the last two years and should finish with close to 20 home runs this season.

Adley Rutschman Baseball Savant Page

Rutschman has the type of approach the Red Sox would covet as well. He is in the 71st percentile for walk rate and minimizes his strikeouts. Furthermore, he doesn’t whiff nor chase outside the zone, showing he makes good swing decisions. Even with the hard hit rate being 42%, it’s the highest of his career. Hes pulling the ball more than he has the last two seasons, so this is very ideal.

What many will not want to do is sacrifice the defense behind the plate. Good news is that Rutschman checks off that box and perfectly. He ranks in the 77th percentile for blocks above average, is 99th percentile is called strikes above average, and his framing is among the top of the class. His 97th percentile fielding run value speaks volumes.

Rutschman checks off all the boxes and the best part of what he brings to the field is that he is under team control until 2028. Exact same timeline as Langeliers. The Orioles trading him in the division doesn’t sound like a good idea for them, but the Red Sox do have the pieces to make such a deal work.

Rutschman becomes catcher number one when he comes in. He’s showing what he’s capable of when healthy and given what he can bring he’s the perfect type of player the Red Sox should be looking to bring in.