The Boston Red Sox will be having an eventful offseason this winter, especially if they want to remain World Series contenders in 2026 and beyond. While there's still plenty of time before the Red Sox's front office starts making moves, an opportunity to bolster their lineup might be on the horizon.
Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman is in a predicament. He's been having a down year from his true potential, and it's affecting his future with Boston's AL East rival. Their prospect and No. 1 overall prospect catcher, Samuel Basallo, is just as highly touted as Rutschman, if not even better. They just extended Basallo for eight years, worth $67 million last week.
With them extending Basallo this soon, this only spells disaster for the superstar catcher. MLB insider Bob Nightengale recently reported that there will be "no bigger position player on the trade block this winter other than Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman". Many suggest that the Red Sox should pick him up as a catcher, and frankly, it's not a bad idea.
“There will be no bigger position player on the trade block this winter than Baltimore #Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman,” per @BNightengale in his article this morning.
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) August 24, 2025
“Look for him [Rutschman] to be wearing another uniform come spring training.” pic.twitter.com/IiGPS3fhZH
Red Sox Must Pursue Orioles C Adley Rutschman in Offseason
Regardless of what people think of Carlos Narvaez, Rutschman is a much better player in all aspects. The former two-time All-Star is a much better hitter and fielder than Narvaez is. Plus, there's a much better chance of Rutschman performing for years (despite a down year this year) than Narvaez repeating his pace that he's on this season.
Striking while the iron is hot is key in this situation, and the Red Sox need to pounce on this grand opportunity. Adding Narvaez in this deal, along with a couple of pitching prospects (which are what the Orioles desperately need) like No. 6 prospect Connelly Early and No. 5 prospect Brandon Clarke, could make a good and potentially package for Rutschman. If they want to, add in No. 7 prospect Justin Gonzales as well.
The ex-Silver Slugger's bat would be more than worth the above package. In 500 games (1,865 at-bats) with Baltimore, Rutschman has slashed .256/.344/.413 with 61 home runs, 230 RBIs, 252 walks, and a 14.8 WAR.
Whatever it takes, along with targeting Joe Ryan again, the Red Sox need to get another weapon. Rutschman is recognized as a team leader and has great relationships with his pitchers. If things work out like Nightengale says, and he does come up on the trade market, the Red Sox need to find a way to make this happen.