Red Sox Looked to Pair Adley Rutschman With Another Catcher: Breakdown

The Boston Red Sox reportedly tried to bring another backstop to town ahead of the trade deadline along with Adley Rutschman.

Sep 15, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tanner Scott hugs catcher Hunter Feduccia after defeating the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the offseason here for the Boston Red Sox, it's going to be interesting to see where the club looks to add throughout the winter.

At first glance, the most obvious areas to add seemingly would be power through the designated hitter spot, potentially a left-handed reliever and maybe a right-handed starting pitcher, depending on what happens with Sonny Gray. This is on paper, though. It doesn't necessarily mean that this is what the Red Sox are looking for. The offseason is long and unpredictable.

Catcher is a spot that was discussed over and over again, but Boston struck and acquired Adley Rutschman ahead of the trade deadline and he's under team control for the 2027 season. It would seem that catcher is set with Rutschman and Connor Wong, but one thing that is interesting is the fact that WEEI's Rob Bradford reported that the Red Sox made a run at Hunter Feduccia ahead of the trade deadline, although they missed out as the Los Angeles Dodgers got him.

"The Red Sox were also really trying to get another catcher at the deadline (as well as Adley): Hunter Feduccia," Bradford wrote.

The Red Sox Looked To Add Another Catcher

Oct 7, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia (46) looks on before game four against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Feduccia played in 33 games for the Dodgers and slashed .197/.322/.263 with one home run and seven RBIs. Surprisingly, those numbers are actually better than Wong's down the stretch. After the trade deadline, Wong slashed .188/.222/.319 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 22 games played.

At the end of the day, on paper the Red Sox should be set behind the plate with Rutschman leading the charge behind the plate and Wong under team control. Plus, of course, Mickey Gasper could be an option, if Boston saw fit. But if the trade deadline interest is any indication, it would appear as though the backup catcher spot could be something to watch this winter as well.

Last year, the Red Sox looked around and brought in Matt Thaiss to compete for the backup spot with Wong. The 30-year-old won the job over Thaiss and did a good job throughout the 2026 season overall. His offensive numbers weren't great down the stretch, but he batted .233 on the season and was very good with the pitching staff.

Still, while backup catcher may not be an obvious need for the club, it's something to monitor throughout the offseason. It's going to be a long winter. By the end of it, the roster isn't going to look exactly the same — in both obvious and non-obvious ways. Regardless of what happens, hopefully we're able to see baseball in full force on time for Spring Training.