The Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox just pulled off the move of the trade deadline. The Red Sox are acquiring Adley Rutschman and Jake Rogers in exchange for Carlos Narvaez, Anthony Eyanson, Enddy Azocar, Kyson Witherspoon and a player to be named later. It is a blockbuster we have not seen in years. It’s also a deal that came out of left field, as Rutschman’s name had not been brought up much in rumors before this past week. But how does this move affect both teams?
What to Make of the Adley Rutschman Trade
The Red Sox Perspective
Just a few weeks ago, the Red Sox appeared to be sellers at the deadline. With them in the basement of the AL East, it felt like the front office was ready to sell off some veteran pieces. But a 15-game winning streak has propelled them into a playoff spot. But despite this success, they have gotten nothing from the catcher position. Their catchers rank in the bottom third of the league in batting average, OPS, and offensive WAR. While not a crucial offensive position, they need better numbers than that if they want to make the postseason.
Rutschman will definitely make these numbers better. Although he is currently on the injured list with left wrist inflammation, he is progressing towards a rehab start. In the 67 games he’s played this season, he has slashed .251/.331/.433 with eight home runs, 47 RBIs, and an 115 OPS+. He has also been decent behind the plate, ranking in the 100th percentile of CS Above Average and 93rd percentile of framing. He has also thrown out 16 of the 43 base runners that have tried to steal on him.
The Orioles Perspective
There was a time that many thought the Orioles would buy at the trade deadline. In fact, the front office came out a month before the deadline and said they were planning on buying at the deadline. But this deal is the exact opposite of what they were planning. Sure, they moved Taylor Ward to the Seattle Mariners early, but this is different. There was a point in time where it seemed that Rutschman was going to be the face of the franchise. He was going to be the leader of the young core the Orioles assembled. This deal puts an end to that dream, and that era of Orioles baseball.
But the Orioles did get a haul for Rutschman. They got a big league catcher in Narvaez and three of Boston’s top five prospects according to MLB Pipeline. Eyanson is the headliner of the prospects heading to Baltimore. He is the 49th overall prospect in baseball. His best pitch is a slider, and he’s been gaining more velocity as he develops. Witherspoon is a solid pitching prospect who relies heavily on his 96 mph fastball. He’s seen as having mid-rotation upside. Azocar is an athletic outfielder and a plus defender.
