One of the most sought after catchers in Major League Baseball has a new home.
The Boston Red Sox have acquired Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles, according to ESPN. The O’s return is headlined by 2026 Future Game participant, 21-year-old righty starter Anthony Eyanson and additional top prospects from Boston, as well as current Red Sox starting catcher Carlos Narváez, per the Baltimore Sun.
Rutschman has been limited to 67 games this season due to a wrist injury, but the 28-year-old switch hitter immediately gives his new squad one of the game’s better catchers both behind and at the plate.
Rutschman had a down 2025, but his 2026 has been a return to his All-Star form. (Photo by Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
A .251 hitter with eight home runs in 2026, he’ll likely begin his new stint on a rehab assignment. After finishing second for Rookie of the Year honors in 2022, he broke out in 2023 when he hit .277 with career highs of 20 home runs and 83 RBIs – earning a Silver Slugger Award. He had 19 homers, 21 doubles and 79 RBIs in 2024 before playing in just 90 games last season (nine home runs, 29 RBIs).
Rutschman is also playing on a team-friendly deal as he has one year of arbitration remaining. He’s on a one-year, $7.25 million contract in 2026 before becoming an unrestricted free agent following the 2027 season.
While the Red Sox have seen their offense recover across most of the diamond since the start of July, behind the plate, Boston is still struggling. Connor Wong has made it on base at a .346 clip, but is slugging just .362 and has a .707 OPS in 55 games. That is significantly better than what Carlos Narváez had managed as the primary backstop in 62 games, as he’s hitting all of .187/.260/.275 on the season. In comparison, Rutschman is batting .251/.333/.431 with a .764 OPS, in addition to what is considered elite defense behind the plate.
In addition to Eyanson and Narváez, the Orioles will receive 19-year-old outfielder Enddy Azocar, starting pitcher and 2025 first-round pick Kyson Witherspoon and 18-year-old Rookie League center fielder Harold Rivas. Eyanson is the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s system, per MLB Pipeline, while Witherspoon is No. 4 and No. 17.
