Red Sox Won’t Tip Hand on Adley Rutschman’s Future Beyond 2027

When the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline rolled around, the Boston Red Sox clearly wanted to upgrade the catcher position.

So much so that the Red Sox swung a deal within the American League East to acquire three-time All-Star Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar, Harold Rivas and Carlos Narvaez. That's a lot to give up for a player, but Rutschman is a special talent who immediately impacted this club in a positive way. His glove is elite and his bat got hot down the stretch.

He's the type of guy you want on your team. Unfortunately, he's only under team control for one more season. Will the Red Sox try to get an extension done this offseason with him? Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was asked that question on Monday and noted that any conversation like that would stay between himself, the All-Star and Rutschman's representatives.

"What I would say is that Adley stepped in as our primary catcher in the middle of a season, which is not easy to do," Breslow said. "Especially when pitching is a strength for our team. He immediately endeared himself to the pitching staff, to the coaching staff, to the clubhouse. Just a really, really high-quality teammate and leader. As to the other question, I think that's something that will develop internally. Any conversations about what Adley's future looks like will take place between Adley, his representatives and me."

Craig Breslow wasn't willing to offer any insight on potential Adley Rutschman extension talks, but he spoke very highly about him as a teammate and the work he did with the pitching staff. pic.twitter.com/5rQjOvnUVa
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) October 5, 2026

At the end of the day, it's hard to ask for much more of an answer at this point in the offseason. The Red Sox's season ended just last week. Still, that doesn't mean that the question isn't important, even if there likely wouldn't be much of an answer at this point.

Adley Rutschman is among the league's most dominant two-way catchers. It's why he's a three-time All-Star at 28 years old and why Boston paid a premium to go get him. He does everything you'd hope for out of a catcher.

And perhaps the most important stat:

ERA by catcher (not counting Andruw Monasterio because he's not a pitcher, I feel like that's fair)

Adley Rutschman: 3.00
Connor Wong: 3.47
Carlos Narvaez: 3.75
Mickey Gasper: 3.99 https://t.co/4jNTNO3Lqf
— Daniel Fox (@DanBFox1287) October 5, 2026

How Much Could An Adley Rutschman Deal Cost?

Sep 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman (31) hits a single against the Cleveland Guardians during the third inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite the fact that he didn't begin the season in Boston and had to get to know the Red Sox's pitchers on the fly, he was still elite behind the plate. Imagine what he'll look like with a full offseason with the Red Sox under his belt?

It cannot be understated how much of a game-changer this guy is. But the fact that he's only under team control for one more season certainly is a bit nerve-wracking. An extension would be excellent for the long-term health of the organization, especially after the trade package Boston sent to Baltimore.

Right now, there are two catchers with nine-figure deals under their belts, Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners. Smith inked a 10-year, $140 million deal with Los Angeles and Raleigh inked a six-year, $105 million deal with Seattle. Both were 28 years old at signing. Sean Murphy has the third-largest total deal of any catcher right now with a six-year, $73 million pact with the Atlanta Braves. Murphy also signed his deal at 28 years old.

Raleigh was the backstop who signed his deal most recently, which was in 2025.

Rutschman is 28 years old right now himself and certainly compares favorably with Smith and Raleigh, which should put him in line for a nine-figure deal himself. Smith is a three-time All-Star in the National League with 24.5 wins above replacement in eight seasons (3.06 per season). His WAR number is a bit skewed by playing just 73 games in 2026. Rutschman is a three-time All-Star, one-time Silver Slugger Award winner and has 17.4 wins above replacement in five seasons (3.48 per season). Raleigh is a one-time All-Star, one-time Gold Glove Award winner, one-time Platinum Glove Award winner and a one-time Silver Slugger Award winner. Raleigh has 19.6 wins above replacement in six seasons (3.26 per season).

Whenever Rutschman inks his next deal — whether that's this offseason with the Red Sox, or in free agency after the 2027 season — he's going to cash in. Smith got the length (10 years) and overall value ($140 million). Raleigh is the leader in annual average ($17.5 million). Rutschman should fall somewhere in the middle. What about something along the lines of $110 million over seven years? In that scenario, he would join the nine-figure club and finish ahead of Raleigh in total value and ahead of Smith in annual value ($15.7 million per year).

We've seen elite catchers cash in at 28 years old. The Red Sox should absolutely be thinking the same right now in order to keep Rutschman in town for as long as possible.

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