The Boston Red Sox have made a significant splash in the Major League Baseball trade deadline by acquiring All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles, along with catcher Jake Rogers. In return, the Orioles will receive a package of four players and a player to be named later.
Rutschman, 28, is a former No. 1 overall draft pick out of Oregon State and a three-time All-Star. He had spent his entire professional career with the Orioles prior to this trade. This season, he’s enjoying a solid bounce-back campaign coming off an injury-compromised 2025 in which he posted the worst offensive numbers of his career. For that career, Rutschman has an OPS+ of 115 – the same as his 2026 figure – across parts of five big-league seasons. He’s averaged 20 home runs per 162 games played over that span, although his power has taken a dip in recent seasons.
Rutschman is presently on the injured list with an inflamed wrist, but he could soon begin a minor-league rehab assignment. He is owed the balance of a $7.25 million salary for this season, and he’ll again be arbitration-eligible for 2027, the final season before he’s slated for free agency.
The Orioles make the move despite being just 2 ½ games out of playoff position going into Monday’s slate of games. They do have rookie Samuel Basallo ready to take over as the team’s primary catcher moving forward. However, he’s on the IL with shoulder inflammation. In earlier deadline deals, the Orioles also traded starting pitcher Dean Kremer to the Twins and outfielder Taylor Ward to the Mariners.
Once healthy, the switch-hitting Rutschman is primed to fill the catcher void for the division-rival Red Sox, who have surged back into contention thanks to a franchise-record 21-4 record in July. This season, Boston catchers – mostly Connor Wong and Narváez – have combined for an OPS of just .615, which ranks 25th in MLB. Rutschman, in contrast, has a .764 OPS this season and a .756 mark for his career. That additional year of control means that Orioles fans must watch Rutschman – the face of their recent deep rebuild – in a Boston uniform not only for the rest of 2026 but also the 2027 season.
The return on Rutschman for the Orioles is quite respectable – strong even. The team has received a package of four players and a player to be named later. The most notable addition for the Orioles is right-handed pitching prospect Anthony Eyanson. Eyanson, age 21 and a former third-rounder out of LSU, is in his first professional season. In 68 ⅓ combined innings at the High-A and Double-A levels, Eyanson has a 1.32 ERA with 94 strikeouts and 26 walks.
Another key prospect in the return is outfield prospect Enddy Azocar. Azocar, 19, is enjoying what may shape up to be a breakout season in 2026. Across 85 games at the Single-A and High-A levels, he’s slugging .540 with 18 homers, 27 doubles, six triples, and 11 stolen bases while spending most of his time in center field. Witherspoon, who turns 22 on Aug. 12, is the most notable addition for the Orioles. Coming into this season, CBS Sports ranked him as the No. 77 overall prospect.
The Boston Red Sox have acquired a significant upgrade with the addition of Rutschman, and the Orioles are staring down the ugly truth of a failed rebuild. The Red Sox have received a top-tier catcher in Rutschman, who can provide a boost to their lineup and make them a deeper team. The Orioles, on the other hand, are struggling to come to terms with the fact that they may have made a mistake in trading away Rutschman, especially considering they are just 2 ½ games out of playoff position.
