While things may not have gone perfectly down the stretch after the Boston Red Sox acquired Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles ahead of the trade deadline, this is a guy that you want on your team.
It's easy to simply look at numbers and make assumptions. Offensively, Rutschman struggled when he came off the Injured List. He slashed .170/.254/.245 in his first 15 games in a Boston uniform with just one home run and four RBIs. That topic was talked about endlessly and has still loomed over the All-Star backstop, but it shouldn't be forgotten that he was great offensively in September. He slashed .266/.299/.547 with an .845 OPS, four home runs and nine RBIs in 17 games, which is closer to his career averages. Plus, let's not forget that he's among the better defensive catchers in baseball and brought a significant upgrade behind the plate from an ABS perspective as well. This is a guy every fan should want Boston to extend this winter because he is going to be a free agent after the 2027 season.
Fortunately, MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo gave a bit of hope in a column while breaking down the argument from both sides. He noted that the organization is "bullish" on Rutschman and views him as closer to a 4-5 WAR player, rather than a 2-3 WAR player.
"Perhaps most importantly, there's a bullish organizational belief in Rutschman - and that he's closer to the 4-5 WAR player he was in 2022 to 2023 than the 2-3 WAR player he has been since 2024," Cotillo wrote. "Team officials marveled at his game-changing ABS discipline and his work with the staff late in the season - and believe he still has the upside to be a premier offensive player."
Sep 29, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Chad Tracy (17) and catcher Adley Rutschman (31) walk to the mound for a pitching change during the fifth inning of game one of the Wildcard round of the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
This doesn't mean that a deal is going to get done. It takes two to tango and there are valid injury concerns as well. But the fact that the Red Sox are that high on the backstop as an organization at least is a sign of belief, which hopefully will lead to some sort of deal.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was asked about the backstop at his end-of-season press conference. He didn't give much insight and noted that conversations will remain between him, Rutschman and his representatives.
Even if you didn't take into account the price Boston paid for the All-Star, just the player himself is enough for Boston to try to keep him around. Catcher has been essentially a black hole for Boston for years. Rutschman is a top-five player at the position, at the very least. Plus, he's just 28 years old. Boston should view him as a 4-5 WAR player. He's that good, and brings positivity to the clubhouse as well. He's the full package.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/red-sox/onsi as Hope for Adley Rutschman, Long-Term Future With Red Sox .
