Red Sox Sign Riley Adams, Creating New Questions Behind the Plate

The Boston Red Sox made an intriguing move on Thursday by signing catcher Riley Adams.

Feb 20, 2026; Palm Beach County, FL, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Riley Adams (15) poses for a portrait during photo day at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Boston Red Sox have made their first intriguing move of the offseason.

We're not going to see fireworks around the league until after the World Series. The World Series kicks off on Friday. After the World Series wraps up, we'll see big-name free agents around the league start to sign deals, as well as potential trades. At this point in the MLB calendar, you typically don't see much movement, outside of minor leaguers. For example, the Red Sox added a new catcher on Thursday, according to Ari Alexander of 7News Boston WHDH.

"Source: The Red Sox are signing C Riley Adams to a minor league deal," Alexander wrote. "Adams has 263 games of MLB experience, mostly with the Nationals from 2021-2025. Adams spent 2026 in Triple-A."

What The Riley Adams Signing Means For Boston's Catchers

Feb 19, 2026; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Riley Adams (15) throws to second base during spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Adley Rutschman is obviously the Red Sox's No. 1 backstop. The signing of Adams doesn't impact Rutschman in the slightest. He's going to be Boston's go-to catcher in 2027 — and hopefully into the future long afterward.

This move is more so interesting because Adams presents more competition for the backup job. Connor Wong was Boston's backup for the vast majority of the 2026 season. In Spring Training, he competed with Matt Thaiss for the backup job. Wong won out. But he didn't have an explosive 2026 season and there were even rumors around the trade deadline that Boston was willing to shop Wong. But the Red Sox turned their season around and didn't end up selling off pieces.

Adams is a five-year big league veteran who has spent time with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Washington Nationals. His best season came in 2023. He played in 44 games and slashed .273/.331/.476 with an .807 OPS, four home runs and 21 RBIs. Adams has never played in more than 83 games in a big league season. He has been a career backup.

Now that he's in the organization, he'll certainly at least be in the competition for the backup role with Wong and maybe even Mickey Gasper.

Catcher has been a spot that has been a weakness for years. The addition of Rutschman has completely changed the perception of the position for Boston. But the backup job is still up in the air. Now, Adams is going to be an option to watch in the competition when Spring Training rolls around. The offseason is young, but Boston is on the board.