Red Sox Close To Acquiring Adley Rutschman In Stunning AL East Blockbuster

[Brandon Glick]

Update: The deal, as expected, is hung up in the medicals stage, per Chris Cotillo. Rutschman is dealing with a wrist injury (tell me where you've heard that one before) and missed time due to an ankle injury and concussion earlier this year.

Original story as follows.

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Well folks, Craig Breslow has officially heard your complaints. After playing things far too passively at last year's trade deadline, he flipped Connelly Early for Curtis Mead in the summer's first blockbuster. And now, he's going even bigger, picking up Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles.

After a year and a half in which he seemed greatly diminished by injuries, Rutschman is back on his game this year. He’d lost some bat speed; it’s back. He’d lost a bit of the edge he once provided on defense; it’s back. He’s a switch-hitting catcher with a strong track record who might have a gear we haven’t seen yet. It’s all too little and too late for the Orioles, though. They had a lousy 2025 and are headed in the same direction this year. They committed to a younger catcher, Samuel Basallo, both because of his huge power potential and because he was willing to sign a team-friendly extension; Rutschman wasn’t.

Their surplus behind the plate turns into the Boston Red Sox's gain. There's no word on the return yet, but it'll be sizable, even before factoring in a division rival tax.

There are significant fallout questions to address here. What happens to Carlos Narvaez now that a three-time All-Star is in the mix? Will the Red Sox try to enter extension conversations with Rutschman, who is 28 and under team control through 2027, before the lockout? What else is on tap for Breslow today?

No matter what the answers to those questions are, what matters most is that the Red Sox have their catcher of the future. Rutschman still hasn't recaptured the magic of his first few seasons when he was worth a whopping 11.1 fWAR, but he's been excellent this year both at the plate (115 wRC+, .764 OPS) and behind it (+9 Fielding Run Value). He's also a switch-hitter who crushes southpaws (.783 OPS against left-handed pitching in his career), filling the quotient of a right-handed slugger the team has needed since Mead went down in his second at-bat with the team.

Once the deal has been finalized and the prospect package is confirmed, we'll have plenty more to break down about this trade.

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[moonslav59]

For who?

[mvp 78]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

For who?

Nobody knows since the deal isn't done yet.

[mvp 78]

Orioles beat reporter:

 

[mvp 78]

 

[mvp 78]

Cotillo:

"A lot of radio silence from both sides... which means they're taking the medical review seriously." 

[iortiz]

Who is running the medical reviews? Our staff? good luck with that!

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

Cotillo:

"A lot of radio silence from both sides... which means they're taking the medical review seriously." 

I hope it’s not the Red Sox doing the medicals after their track record this season. He’s been on the IL 3 times already this year, so there’s that.

[southpaw777]

Not entirely excited about this. He’s been hurt for two years and is currently on rehab for a wrist injury. Yay. He hasn’t come close to living up to the hype. I hope we didn’t give up much for him.

[southpaw777]

Just now, Old Red said:

I hope it’s not the Red Sox doing the medicals after their track record this season. He’s been on the IL 3 times already this year, so there’s that.

Our med team sucks

[Old Red]

Taylor Ward also going to Seattle, so I guess Baltimore is giving up.

[moonslav59]

Adell to CLE

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, southpaw777 said:

Not entirely excited about this. He’s been hurt for two years and is currently on rehab for a wrist injury. Yay. He hasn’t come close to living up to the hype. I hope we didn’t give up much for him.

As long as the Sox aren't paying for "hype" it doesn't matter to me.

[vegasbob]

13 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Nobody knows since the deal isn't done yet.

But venture a guess:  Narvaez, plus 2 others from our AAAA'ers and MiLB pitching prospects

[mvp 78]

I need to go pick up my kids from camp, so the deal will be done in the next hour while I'm not around. 

[Old Red]

14 minutes ago, southpaw777 said:

Not entirely excited about this. He’s been hurt for two years and is currently on rehab for a wrist injury. Yay. He hasn’t come close to living up to the hype. I hope we didn’t give up much for him.

He was supposed to resume hitting on Saturday, but I don’t know if he did or not.

[Jean-Sébastien Blouin]

if the Orioles give up for this season and Rutschman is injured, could it be possible to accept less in return to trade him

[harmony]

A favorite Adley Rutschman video;

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

3 minutes ago, Old Red said:

He was supposed to resume hitting on Saturday, but I don’t know if he did or not.

Hitting off the tee. But using a six iron instead of a driver (metal; Sox will send him to the Cape League for some dry swings with the wood... then he'll throw off flat ground... if he doesn't blow out a knee in rehab, by the time he comes off the IL he'll be better than any other catcher they can pick up off the waiver wire).

[SoxPhan]

Very curious on the return. Hopefully we didn't overpay for a 28yo injured C. But if the price was reasonable I'm fine with it, 

[JAG]

I wish it would include Holliday. of course depends on what they give up....bello and Mayer

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

5 minutes ago, JAG said:

I wish it would include Holliday. of course depends on what they give up....bello and Mayer

Sox can't afford to give up Bello 

[Old Red]

37 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

As long as the Sox aren't paying for "hype" it doesn't matter to me.

.219-3-26 since May 12, and lots of red on the statcast page according to Cotillo. Three trips to the IL this season. Waiting to see the price, and if it’s worth it?

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Seeing a lot of familiar names in rumored return packages. I swear the Sox plant some outrageous rumors just so when the official overpay is released, fandom will be relieved.

[mvp 78]

19 minutes ago, Old Red said:

.219-3-26 since May 12, and lots of red on the statcast page according to Cotillo. Three trips to the IL this season. Waiting to see the price, and if it’s worth it?

The medicals are the hang up.

[mvp 78]

12 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Seeing a lot of familiar names in rumored return packages. I swear the Sox plant some outrageous rumors just so when the official overpay is released, fandom will be relieved.

One report says Valera and Primera. An injured pitcher and a guy barely out of FCL? 

[Jasonbay44]

If he’s healthy he’s a massive upgrade. The problem is he hasn’t been very healthy the last two seasons and a wrist injury that’s heavily impacting his hitting is not a good sign. Hopefully haul isn’t too big 

[Jasonbay44]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

One report says Valera and Primera. An injured pitcher and a guy barely out of FCL? 

I saw that on Twitter as well. If that is the package, I’m okay with it. 

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

The medicals are the hang up.

The latest injury was reported as wrist inflammation.

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, Old Red said:

The latest injury was reported as wrist inflammation.

👋