In a recent article put out by Jeff Passan of ESPN, where he assessed the perfect free agent moves for a batch of teams to pay attention to this winter, he mentioned that signing Ryan Jeffers would be an excellent move for the Boston Red Sox.

Earlier this offseason, the Minnesota Twins extended the qualifying offer to Jeffers, who spent his first seven major-league seasons with the organization. However, in recent reports put out by Bobby Nightengale Jr. of the Minnesota Star Tribune, Jeffers is expected to decline, making him an unrestricted free agent.

This year’s crop of free-agent catchers isn’t great. Jeffers, along with Carson Kelly and Tyler Stephenson, are practically the only three on the market who can be depended upon in a starting role.

That being said, the market for Jeffers is likely to be very competitive as he is regarded as the best catcher on the market.

Why Boston?

In the article by Passan, he noted that the Red Sox are seeking to acquire an impact bat this winter. He identified Jeffers as the best fit for Boston in this context, but also mentioned CJ Abrams, Zach Neto, Ketel Marte, and Corey Seager as potential options.

The likes of Abrams and Neto would be a blockbuster, as that would mean the Red Sox would probably have to part ways with top prospect Franklin Arias in order to reach a deal.

One reason Jeffers would be a great fit in Boston is that Adley Rutschman will be a free agent after the 2027 season and he hasn’t been very reliable in recent years due to injuries. The former three-time All-Star has failed to play 99 games in the last two seasons.

Rutschman has also served as the designated hitter in the past, setting up the possibility for Jeffers and Rutschman to split between catching and designated hitter duties.

Jeffers is widely expected to receive a multi-year deal, meaning if he lands in Boston, he could provide insurance to the Red Sox in case the front office is unable to bring back Rutschman after the 2027 campaign.

Furthermore, the Red Sox didn’t see offensive production from their backstops this past season, ranking 25th in the majors with a 74 wRC+ and 23rd with a .216 batting average.

The Red Sox cycled through five catchers, including Connor Wong, Carlos Narvaez, Mickey Gasper, Jake Rogers, and Rutschman, who all struggled for the most part when playing the position.

That being said, the Twins need to do all they can to attempt to bring back Jeffers. Although the team currently has Victor Caratini employed, he’s not an amazing everyday option and even if they don’t bring back Jeffers, they’ll need to find someone else to pair with him.