When the Red Sox gave up a massive prospect package to acquire catcher Adley Rutschman at the trade deadline, Boston found a franchise catcher, at least for a year and a half.
Rutschman will enter 2027, should they play, with the impending lockout on the horizon, with one year left on his deal, and will become a free agent next offseason.
Craig Breslow traded five players- right-handed pitchers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, outfielder Enddy Azocar and Harold Rivas, and catcher Carlos Narvaez- and sent a massive haul to a division rival, the Orioles, essentially backing himself into a corner to extend the former first overall pick.
Rutschman will turn 29 in February, enter his final year of arbitration next season, and is projected to earn $9.1 million, according to MLB TradeRumors.
Breslow was not forthcoming, but then again, when has he been, when asked at the year-end press conference on Monday when asked if the Sox plan to lock up Rutschman for the foreseeable future.
“I think that’s something that will develop internally,” Breslow said. “Any conversations about what Adley’s future looks like will take place between Adley, his representatives and me.”
It makes complete sense for the Sox to keep Rutschman in the fold beyond 2027. Boston’s catching pipeline lacks any big-league-ready talent at this point. The Sox have some younger catchers in the system that could figure into the club’s plans in a few years.
Boston has 19-year-old catcher Franklin Primera, who had a breakout season hitting .329/.466/.494 for the Low-A Salem affiliate. He’s years away from helping the Sox at the big league level. Johanfran Garcia was at Double-A this past season, where he hit .284 with 18 homers, 55 RBI, and a .833 OPS. Garcia is coming back from a knee injury and doesn’t project as a big league starter.
It’s unclear whether the club and Rutschman have discussed an extension.
One knock on Breslow has been not getting uncomfortable when it comes to roster decisions. He traded four players to the White Sox for Garrett Crochet, which at the time was bold for a new front-office executive. Any baseball general manager, chief baseball officer, or whatever you want to call these executives with the prospect capital Breslow had after Chaim Bloom was fired, the Crochet deal was a no-brainer.
Ironically, three of the four players have played an integral part in their postseason run, and the White Sox are potentially on the brink of an American League Championship Series appearance against the heavily favored Tampa Bay Rays.
At the time of the trade, Eyanson was considered the Sox’ top pitching prospect, mowing down minor league lineups en route to a promotion to Double-A Portland. Witherspoon was the Sox’ first-round pick in 2025 and struggled to match the numbers Eyanson posted in each outing. Once he got into the Orioles system, he made three starts for their High-A affiliate, and went 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 10 walks in 14 1/3 innings.
Azocar, 19, had a fantastic offensive year and is now viewed as Baltimore’s No. 5 prospect, per BA. Rivas is a high-upside 18-year-old outfielder and Narváez, despite a brutal all-around 2026, did finish sixth in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2025.
It’s hard to believe that the well-calculated Breslow would have mortgaged so much of his club’s future for just a year and a half of Rutschman. At the time of the trade, it was believed his job was on the line, but the Sox said they had made up their mind on keeping Breslow in charge of the front office after the magical 32-5 run the club went on earlier in the summer. Prior to that information, it was thought Breslow was doing anything he could to keep his job.
“When we acquired Adley, we did so because he was a really good player at a position of need,” he said. “We felt like he could add to our 2026 outlook. Obviously, he’s under control for 2027, which is great. Beyond that, it’s best just to keep conversations between Adley and me.”
“What I would say is that Adley stepped in as our primary catcher in the middle of the season, which is not easy to do, especially when pitching is a strength of our team, and immediately endeared himself to the pitching staff, the coaching staff and the clubhouse,” Breslow said. “Just a really high-quality teammate and leader.”
Health also continues to be a major concern when it comes to Rutschman. He was hampered by a right-hand injury in the second half of 2024, then was limited to 90 games in 2025 due to strains in both obliques. Last season brought short IL stints due to ankle inflammation, a concussion and wrist inflammation. With Boston, he was slowed by a hyperextended elbow that required a cortisone shot in mid-September, and certainly limited him at the plate. Scouts have continually pointed to injury risk as a concern when it comes to Rutschman with health and conditioning among the priorities for his offseason.
The Red Sox paid a heavy price for Rutschman because division rivals, the Yankees and Rays, were also discussing a trade to acquire him from the Orioles. The Rays ultimately acquired Liam Hicks from the Marlins, but the Yankees were trying to add a catcher ahead of the deadline. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Orioles were willing to trade Rutschman to the Yankees and wanted a package of at least four players that consisted of catcher Austin Wells, right-handed pitcher Elmer Rodriguez, outfield prospect Yostin Pena, and either one of Ryan Weathers or Will Warren. The Yankees ultimately rejected this due to not wanting to trade Pena.
Rutschman wasn’t the only catcher the Red Sox targeted ahead of the trade deadline.
According to WEEI’s Rob Bradford, Boston also expressed interest in acquiring Hunter Feduccia from the Rays, potentially adding another catcher even after landing Rutschman from the Orioles.
Feduccia became expendable in Tampa Bay after the Rays acquired Liam Hicks from the Marlins.
Had Boston completed a deal, the 29-year-old likely could have served as organizational depth at Triple-A Worcester rather than immediately joining the major league roster. Feduccia has one minor league option remaining, and with Rutschman and Connor Wong already in the fold, there wasn’t an immediate need for another catcher in Boston. The Rays ultimately elected against trading Feduccia within the division, instead sending him back to the Dodgers, who originally selected him in the 12th round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Boston has spent the past several years reshaping its catching depth. The Red Sox acquired Narváez from the Yankees two offseasons ago before including him in the five-player package sent to Baltimore for Rutschman this summer.
The organization also added several catchers last offseason, acquiring Ronny Hernandez from the White Sox, Luke Heyman from the Mariners and Adonys Guzman from the Pirates.
Boston’s interest in Feduccia makes sense beyond simply adding depth. He’s under team control through 2031, offering the club an affordable option behind Rutschman for the foreseeable future. Given that interest, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Red Sox revisited trade discussions with the Dodgers this offseason. Acquiring Feduccia could give Boston additional flexibility behind the plate, whether that means moving on from Wong or stashing Feduccia in Worcester as insurance against an injury at the major league level.
Garrett Whitlock Pitched Through Fractured Tibia
Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock pitched through leg pain late in the 2026 season, and imaging conducted following Boston’s elimination from the postseason revealed a fractured tibia, according to The Boston Herald.
The good news is that Whitlock will not need surgery. The right-hander will wear a walking boot for six weeks and is expected to be ready for spring training.
Whitlock, 30, was one of Boston’s most reliable bullpen arms this season, posting a 1.72 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and .204 opponents’ batting average across 54 appearances spanning 52 1/3 innings. He struck out 59 batters while issuing just nine walks. He also missed 17 games in August while on the injured list with right elbow inflammation.
The question that will be on everyone’s mind is how did the Red Sox medical team miss this injury? Fans have been questioning the way the club handled Roman Anthony’s injury this season and the diagnosis around Garrett Whitlock’s shoulder and oblique issue. You could argue and ask whether Boston rushed Rutschman off the injured list quickly following the August trade.
Whitlock initially complained of leg pain that the Sox’ medical team missed and only diagnosed this week.
The right-hander struggled in his lone appearance against the Yankees in the American League Wild Card Series, allowing three earned runs over 1 1/3 innings in Boston’s Game 2 loss. The Red Sox hold an $8.25 million team option on Whitlock for 2027, with a $1 million buyout. Given his performance this season and his importance to the bullpen, exercising that option would appear to be a no-brainer.
Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Aug 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park.
Sonny Gray Plans to Pitch in 2027, Leaves Door Open for Red Sox Return
Veteran right-hander Sonny Gray isn’t ready to call it a career just yet. After contemplating retirement toward the end of the season, Gray has decided to return for at least a 15th major league season in 2027, and he hasn’t ruled out another stint with the Red Sox.
“My family and I have talked about it and it’s an easy decision. I still want to win a World Series, whether that is Boston or with whoever wants me,” Gray told the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier in a text message Friday.
It’s a notable change in tone from Gray, who was
