Report: Red Sox, Orioles close to Rutschman deal

The blockbuster trade deadline deal is now official. Boston gave up a massive haul, including three of their top five prospects, according to Baseball America. Rutschman is currently on the injured list with left wrist inflammation and won’t be ready to contribute for a couple weeks. There’s a chance he’s ready to start a minor league rehab assignment later this week. The 28-year-old former top-overall pick from the 2019 draft topped 19 homers in consecutive seasons from 2023-2024 before missing time with injury each of the last two years. He fills a glaring need behind the plate for the Red Sox, especially since he won’t reach free agency until 2028. However, there’s a decent chance that surrendering a high-level pitching prospect like Eyanson to a division-rival ultimately comes back to haunt them.

Apparently, the medicals were approved. The Orioles will get Anthony Eyanson (Boston’s No. 1 pitching prospect), 2025 first-rounder Kyson Witherspoon, Carlos Narváez and more, according to the Baltimore Sun’s Jacob Calvin Meyer. The Red Sox will have Rutschman under control through 2027. He’s still on the IL for now, but he’ll take over from Connor Wong as the starter when healthy. Jake Rogers is also in the deal going to Boston, so he’ll back up Wong for now. For Baltimore, the move clears the way for Samuel Basallo to spend the next several years as a starting catcher.

According to Olney, the prospects and medicals have all been set, and the Red Sox are now reviewing everything to determine if they want to pull the trigger on the deal or not. Rutschman does have a troubling history of injuries, but he would be a major upgrade at catcher for the Red Sox. If he’s healthy.

The Red Sox are looking for an upgrade behind the plate, and Rutschman would qualify. The 28-year-old is currently on the 10-day injured list with wrist inflammation, and the Red Sox really don’t need any more hitters with wrist/forearm injuries. That said, Rutschman is hitting .251/.331/.433 in 67 games this season with eight home runs and 47 RBI. He fits the new Red Sox’s acquisition mold of making lots of contact and being a strong defender. He’s also under contract through arbitration for 2027 as well, so it would likely cost a decent bit to acquire him.

The Orioles are unclear about whether they truly want to trade away players at the deadline because, despite being three games under .500, they are just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot. The expiring contracts include Taylor Ward, Trevor Rogers and Andrew Kittredge, but the Orioles are also listening to offers for Adley Rutschman, who is under team control for one more season. While it remains unclear what the Orioles will do, Rosenthal believes that “Ward and Rogers, even as rentals, could fetch sizable returns,” so they remain the two most likely to be moved. If anybody moves at all.

Rutschman is currently on the injured list with wrist inflammation. It’s unclear whether the Orioles are even going to be sellers since they’ve shown some signs of life recently. Heyman adds that the Yankees are casting a wide net in search of an upgrade at catcher, listing Tyler Stephenson as another potential target in the lead up to next week’s trade deadline.

Rutschman winds up requiring a trip to the injured list for the third time this season after missing time over the weekend with a wrist issue. There should be additional clarity on his status once he undergoes imaging to determine the severity of the issue. It’s worth noting that Samuel Basallo is also dealing with a shoulder issue, so the Orioles are going to have to get creative at catcher in the coming days.

Rutschman has missed the last two games with a wrist injury, even though the team doesn’t expect its catcher to be out for long. The Red Sox are also going to throw three left-handed pitchers in this series, which might impact some of Rutschman’s playing time. Sam Huff will start behind the dish and bat ninth on Monday.

Rutschman has shouldered a heavy load for the Orioles, often serving as the team’s designated hitter when he’s not starting behind the dish, so he’ll get a hard-earned day off in this one. Samuel Basallo starts behind the dish for the O’s and will bat fifth against Royals’ right-hander Seth Lugo on Sunday afternoon in Baltimore.

Rutschman drove in a pair of runs in his second game back from the 7-day concussion injured list, and he’ll get a breather Tuesday; something that will likely happen more consistently to make sure the 28-year-old is fresh after the head injury. Samuel Basallo will handle backstop duties for Tuesday’s game in Rutschman’s absence.