Red Sox Obtain Rutschman from Orioles; Send Mayer to SF

The Boston Red Sox, who have gone 28-5 since June 24th, did not rest on their laurels during the trade deadline.

This afternoon, the Bosox acquired catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles along with fellow catcher Jake Rogers in exchange for catcher Carlos Narvaez and minor league prospects Enddy Azocar, an outfielder along with two righthanded pitchers - Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon.

Rutschman, 28, was the number one pick in the MLB Draft by the Orioles in 2019 and runner up in AL Rookie of the Year balloting in 2022 behind Seattle Mariners slugger Julio Rodriguez. He has been named to three AL All-Star Teams in the past four seasons. 

It might be a while before Rutschman sees any action as he is currently on the IL with a wrist injury, his third IL stint this season. When Rutschman has been healthy, he has been productive hitting .251 with 8 HR and 47 RBI in 69 games played this season. Hence the decision to also acquire Rogers. 

Despite being only 2½ games out of the third AL Wild Card berth, the Orioles have chosen to be sellers at the trade deadline dealing starting pitcher Dean Kremer to the Minnesota Twins and outfielder Taylor Ward to the Seattle Mariners before parting ways with Rutschman.

Also of note, the Red Sox decided to give up on infielder Marcelo Mayer sending him to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for middle reliever Erik Miller. Mayer was the Red Sox's top draft pick in 2021 and the fourth pick overall in the nation out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California, just outside of San Diego. However, in parts of two seasons, Mayer has hit only .223 with modest power, a propensity to strike out with very few walks.

I have heard stories that Mayer likes the nightlife. Mayer might get away with that if he was hitting better. Like Rutschman, Mayer is also currently on the IL since late June due to a forearm injury. The one thing Mayer has in his favor is that he is only 23 and can get a fresh start in San Francisco. Although things have been pretty chaotic this season and perhaps being teammates with former Red Sox player Rafael Devers might not be the best thing for him especially when the Giants come to Fenway later this month.

The impact of these trades won't be immediately known for the Red Sox but they may loom large as the season progresses.