The Boston Red Sox are reportedly acquiring Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Anthony Eyanson, Enddy Azocar, Kyson Witherspoon, Carlos Narvaez and a player to be named later.
While his numbers are solid, he may be even better in reality. The Red Sox are giving up their Nos. 2, 4and 5 prospects alongside their starting catcher to get him, so they must really believe he can help them make a run. He is a three-time All-Star who is having a great bounce-back season.
This year, Rutschman has a .251/.331/.433 slash line and eight homers. He is not playing as well as he did in 2023, but outside of the home run numbers, he is pretty much on par with his 2024 season. He is currently on the injured list and has been on the injured list three times this year, so his health is a concern. However, his underlying metrics indicate he should have better stats.
His expected batting average is .274, 23 points higher than his actual batting average. This means he has been a victim of some bad luck, whether that's just because of elite defense or the ballpark he plays in. Now, he will get a chance to play in a much more hitter-friendly ballpark.
The switch hitter has crushed right-handed pitching this year, and his Baseball Savant page is full of red. He ranks in the 96th percentile for launch angle sweet spot percentage, 91st percentile for whiff rate, 87th percentile for strikeout rate and 78th percentile for chase rate. All of that indicates that he is actually having a better year at the plate than his slash line would indicate.
Defensively, he is in the 100th percentile for caught stealing above average and the 93rd percentile for framing. He has a plus-three blocks above average.
Catcher was a clear need for the Red Sox, and Craig Breslow came through with a monster trade. The Tampa Bay Rays also landed a catcher in Liam Hicks, but the New York Yankees are still searching. The Red Sox are positioned to make a run at the AL East title after the addition of Rutschman. He is under control for one more season as well.