The Boston Red Sox spent heavily at the Trade Deadline, only to fall to the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card Round.
At the Trade Deadline, Boston traded multiple top prospects and major leaguer Carlos Narváez to the Baltimore Orioles for catcher Adley Rutschman.
However, it appears that Boston was going after another catcher to pair with the three-time All-Star. According to Rob Bradford of WEEI, the Red Sox made a run at catcher Hunter Feduccia before the Trade Deadline.
The Red Sox would miss out on Feduccia, as he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers amid injuries to backstops Will Smith and Dalton Rushing.
Why Does This Matter for the Boston Red Sox?
Rutschman’s resume was enough for Boston to make a huge move. Baltimore traded the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft to Boston for a haul. In 32 games with the Red Sox, it didn’t go as planned.
Rutschman would slash just .222/.278/.410 as a member of the Red Sox, with five home runs. While his defense was elite, his bat was mediocre. In the playoffs, Rutschman went 1-for-8 in two games with three strikeouts.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers selected Feduccia in the 12th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of LSU. He wouldn’t make his major league debut until 2024 with Los Angeles, playing in just five games.
In 2025, after two games with Los Angeles, Feduccia was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for a package around Ben Rortvedt. During 36 games with Tampa Bay, Feduccia slashed .151/.265/.209 with no home runs.
In 2026, he started with a .234/.306/.340 slash line with Tampa Bay before Los Angeles acquired him. After the deadline, he has slashed .197/.322/.263 with one home run, but has not played in the postseason.
Feduccia wouldn’t have competed for the starting staff with Boston. However, what’s interesting in this report is that Connor Wong would have been displaced.
What Does This Mean for Wong, Team?
While Wong ended up with the backup job after the deadline, he actually was a downgrade from Feduccia offensively.
After the trade deadline, Wong slashed .188/.222/.319 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 22 games played.
At the end of the day, on paper the Red Sox should be set at backstop, with Rutschman leading the charge and Wong as a backup. Boston, however, has to extend Rutschman, who is a free agent after 2027.
Mickey Gasper could be an option if Boston wants. After all, Gasper was one of Boston’s best hitters in 2026, slashing .251/.357/.466 with 10 home runs in 67 games.
But if Bradford’s report is any indication, this could be a situation to watch before or after the expected lockout.
Red Sox Looked to Pair Another Backstop With Adley Rutschman at Deadline