The Red Sox may already have their answer behind the plate after landing Adley Rutschman, but that hasn’t stopped their name from popping up in another catcher market.
Boston’s current setup would put Rutschman in the starting role if the 2027 season opened today, with Connor Wong as the likely backup. If Wong isn’t the choice, Riley Adams is already in the organization after arriving this offseason. Even so, the club has been linked to free agent catcher Ryan Jeffers, with the New York Post’s Jon Heyman labeling Boston a “surprise pursuer.”
“The Red Sox are a surprise pursuer of star free agent catcher Ryan Jeffers since they just traded for star catcher Adley Rutschman,” Heyman wrote.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan also brought up Jeffers on Wednesday, calling the idea of Boston signing him the “perfect transaction” for the offseason.
That buzz has put Jeffers’ name on the Red Sox radar, but the fit is hard to square. Jeffers comes with a qualifying offer, which means any team that signs him would forfeit a draft pick. For Boston, that’s a steep price to pay for a catcher who would not clearly be an upgrade over Rutschman.
Jeffers is a solid bat, and his 2026 numbers back that up: a .256/.353/.461 slash line with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs in 92 games. But the Red Sox already have a star catcher in place, so spending that kind of money and surrendering draft capital doesn’t make much sense.
If Boston wants to improve its depth at catcher, there are cleaner options. Gary Sanchez, Kyle Higashioka and Austin Hedges all make more sense as backup targets. And if the club is really looking for offense in a larger role, there are stronger designated hitter options available, including Seiya Suzuki.
Still, the Red Sox have shown they’re willing to surprise people under president of baseball operations Craig Breslow. The Rutschman trade itself was proof of that. So while nothing should be ruled out, Boston would be wise to pass on Jeffers.
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