The Boston Red Sox will soon have to pay up to keep hold of a key player. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow previously landed star catcher Adley Rutschman ahead of the most recent trade deadline. In the move, Boston sent five players, including multiple highly rated prospects, to the Baltimore Orioles. While the Red Sox acquired the All-Star slugger, he will be a free agent after 2027.
Not signing Rutschman to an extension would be brutal for the Boston Red Sox. So what could a potential agreement look like? According to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey, you have to look at other comparable deals involving similar players. In doing so, a ballpark figure becomes clearer.
“Rutschman and his agent will likely use recent catcher contracts — both extensions and free-agent signings — as a framework,” writes McCaffrey. “Cal Raleigh signed a five-year, $99.4 million extension with the Seattle Mariners in 2025; J.T. Realmuto signed a five-year, $115.5 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021.”
“Rutschman will likely seek at least five years, $100 million, but the major contingency is that he stays healthy. A big year at the plate could drive his asking price up even further.”
The three-time All-Star catcher earned $7.25 million in 2026 between the Orioles and Boston Red Sox. Spotrac projects he will receive around $8.5 million in arbitration for the upcoming campaign. After 2027, his next deal will kick in, whether that is with Boston or not.
Boston Red Sox Could Make Adley Rutschman the Highest-Paid Catcher in Baseball
Assuming McCaffrey’s $20 million AAV contract prediction is correct, Rutschman would become the highest-paid MLB catcher in 2028. Raleigh currently earns the most money per year at the position at $17.5 million. Los Angeles Dodgers star Will Smith has the biggest overall contract among catchers at $140 million, but the 10-year deal drops the AAV to $14 million.
Rutschman did somewhat struggle at the plate after being acquired by the Boston Red Sox. In fact, he slashed .222/.278/.410 in 32 total games since the trade. He also grabbed just one hit in eight postseason at-bats. Nevertheless, the star’s overall 2026 statistics remain solid compared to Raleigh, Smith, and Realmuto. The Red Sox catcher led the quartet with a 2.6 WAR and tied Smith with a .426 slugging.
Boston Likely Wants to Complete Contract ASAP
The biggest question regarding Rutschman’s future with the Boston Red Sox is whether the club will try to re-sign him this winter or wait. Tying down the slugger before 2027 could be the best bet. As McCaffrey points out, the star’s asking price will only increase if he has a huge year next season.
Breslow, as expected, has already been asked by the media about Rutschman’s future with the Boston Red Sox. The exec, however, opted not to give up too much info on the situation. “I think that’s something that will develop internally,” Breslow said in early October, as reported by Sports Illustrated. “Any conversations about what Adley’s future looks like will take place between Adley, his representatives, and me.”
Because of his fairly lengthy injury history, the slugger may also want to iron out a new contract before 2027. Spending significant time on the sidelines during a contract year is never good for a player. As a result, the two sides should continue negotiating an extension into the winter.
Red Sox Star Projected to Receive $100 Million Contract Offer