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08/03 17:36 CDT Red Sox get All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from AL East rival
Orioles
Red Sox get All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from AL East rival Orioles
By NOAH TRISTER and KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Baseball Writer
The Boston Red Sox acquired All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore
Orioles on Monday for a package that includes three of their top prospects.
The 28-year-old Rutschman is hitting .251 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs this
season. He earned an All-Star nod for the third time but is currently on the
injured list with left wrist inflammation. He's also dealt with an ankle injury
and a concussion this year.
The deal was announced about an hour before Monday's trade deadline. Baltimore
also sent catcher Jake Rogers to the Red Sox. In return, the Orioles received
minor league right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, minor league
outfielder Enddy Azocar, catcher Carlos Narvez and a player to be named later.
Eyanson, Witherspoon and Azocar were ranked among Boston's top five prospects
by MLB Pipeline, with Eyanson in the top 50 in all of baseball.
In another move involving a former top 5 draft pick, Boston traded shortstop
Marcelo Marcelo --- the fourth overall pick in 2021 --- to San Francisco for
left-handed reliever Erik Miller. The Red Sox also dealt right-hander Tyler
Uberstine to Atlanta for outfielder Eli White.
In Mayer's case, it ends a short and injury-plagued run in Boston that saw the
23-year-old play in only 114 games over two seasons. His trade comes while he
is currently on the injured list recuperating a stress reaction in his left
forearm.
If he can return to the field soon, Rutschman is a significant addition for a
Boston team that stormed back into the postseason picture with a 15-game
winning streak last month. The Red Sox needed catching help, and their offense
is also dealing with injuries to Triston Casas, Trevor Story, Roman Anthony and
even the recently acquired Curtis Mead.
The Orioles drafted Rutschman with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, but unlike
Bobby Witt Jr., the second pick that year, he hasn't signed a long-term
contract. Rutschman can become a free agent after next season.
Trading him to an AL East rival is a bitter pill for some Baltimore fans. In
many ways, he represented both the success and failure of the past few years
for the Orioles. He made his debut in 2022 and the team took off, finishing
with a winning record that year and then storming to a 101-win campaign in 2023.
Baltimore made the playoffs in 2024, but Rutschman slumped down the stretch and
was unable to rebound in 2025, when the Orioles collapsed to a last-place
finish. He's been better this year but has played in only 67 games. Baltimore
is 54-58 and entered Monday 2 1/2 games behind the final playoff spot in the
American League.
Samuel Basallo, who has 16 homers this season, now becomes Baltimore's clear
No. 1 catcher. However, the 21-year-old Basallo is currently on the injured
list as well.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
