The Baltimore Orioles traded All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman to the division-rival Boston Red Sox, they announced Monday.
In return for Rutschman and backup catcher Jake Rogers, the Orioles received three prospects - right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon and outfielder Enddy Azocar - plus big-league catcher Carlos Narváez. All three prospects were ranked among Boston's top 30 by MLB.com, with Eyanson among the website's top 100 overall (No. 49).
The Red Sox will also send cash considerations to Baltimore, while the Orioles will send Boston either cash considerations or a player to be named later.
Rutschman is currently sidelined with a wrist injury. He's expected to return in mid-August, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com.
The 28-year-old had been considered a foundational piece in Baltimore since being drafted first overall in 2019. However, the O's made the playoffs just twice with him on the roster and failed to win a postseason series.
Baltimore signed rookie backstop Samuel Basallo to an eight-year extension last summer while leaving Rutschman - a free agent after 2027 - without a long-term deal.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, land the foundational catcher they've long been seeking. Boston's received limited production behind the plate this year, with Narváez and Connor Wong splitting most of the time at the position. With Narváez's departure, Rogers will presumably back up Wong in Boston until Rutschman returns from the IL.
Rutschman, 28, was enjoying a bounce-back campaign before his recent injury. The switch-hitter made his third All-Star team after hitting .251/.331/.433 with eight homers and 47 RBIs over 67 games despite missing time with both a concussion and the ongoing wrist issue. Defensively, he ranks in the 93rd percentile in framing and has accrued nine catching runs.
Eyanson, the most highly regarded prospect in the deal, is in his first professional season after being drafted in the third round last year. The 21-year-old owns a 1.32 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 94 strikeouts over 16 appearances (15 starts) split between High-A and Double-A this campaign.
Witherspoon, Boston's first-round pick out of Oklahoma last summer, sports a 4.78 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 78 strikeouts and 34 walks over 78 starts with High-A Greenville in 2026.
Azocar, 19, is a center fielder who was signed out of his native Venezuela in 2024. He has split this season between Low-A and High-A, hitting a cumulative .286/.341/.540 with 18 homers, 63 RBIs, and 11 steals over 85 games between the two levels.
Narváez, the lone big-league piece headed to Baltimore, can immediately slot in as his new team's starting catcher with Basallo on the IL. Once Basallo returns, he can split time with Narváez behind the plate. Narváez also comes with another four years of team control and has two minor-league options remaining.
The 27-year-old finished sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2025 after posting a .726 OPS with 15 homers and 50 RBIs during a surprise breakout season with Boston. However, Narváez is hitting .187/.260/.275 with three homers and 10 RBIs over 62 games in 2026. Defensively, he's in the 84th percentile of framing this year, but he's also struggled to throw out baserunners.
Rogers, who is accompanying Rutschman to Boston, was an Oriole for just three days after being acquired from the Detroit Tigers for a prospect Thursday. The 31-year-old is hitting .163/.270/.296 with three homers and nine RBIs over 37 total games with the Tigers and Orioles this year.
The Red Sox also apparently made a second trade Monday, acquiring outfielder Eli White from the Atlanta Braves for minor-league right-hander Tyler Uberstine, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
