Analyzing Baltimore Orioles’ Return in the Adley Rutschman Trade

Once upon a time, Baltimore Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias selected catcher Adley Rutschman with the first overall pick. It was the 2019 MLB Draft, and he showed how much faith he had in the young backstop that he even picked him ahead of players such as Bobby Witt Jr.

When Rutschman was called up to the majors, it felt like the arrival of the Messiah. The O’s had their first winning season since 2016 when the young catcher was promoted and played 113 games in that 2022 campaign, and returned to the playoffs the year after.

After two postseason berths in 2023 and 2024 that yielded no victories, the team has regressed in 2025 and 2026, and the circumstances persuaded Elias to trade Rutschman to a division rival in a shocking turn of events.

Elias, in the past, didn’t hide his desire to keep Rutschman in Baltimore forever, but his failure to extend the star catcher eventually led to the end of the marriage.

Did the Orioles, at least, get it right with the return?

Full trade:

Red Sox got: catcher Adley Rutschman, catcher Jake Rogers

Orioles got: RHP Anthony Eyanson (MLB Pipeline’s No. 49 in the top 100 list, Red Sox’s No. 2 prospect), RHP Kyson Witherspoon (Red Sox’s No. 4 prospect), outfielder Enddy Azócar (Red Sox’s No. 5 prospect), catcher Carlos Narváez, and a player to be named later

RHP Anthony Eyanson

2026 Stats: 0.44 ERA, 1.51 FIP, 20.1 IP, 3 BB, 34 K in High-A

1.69 ERA, 3.31 FIP, 48 IP, 23 BB, 60 K in Double-A

Eyanson, a 21-year-old right-hander picked in the third round of last year’s MLB Draft, is a solid headliner in the deal and is now the O’s top prospect, per MLB Pipeline. His walk rate jumped a bit after the promotion to Double-A, and that’s something to monitor, but his strikeout ability remains intact, fueled by a mid-90s fastball that can touch the triple digits and boasts impressive carry. The slider, usually clocking in the mid-80s, is his best secondary pitch, and he can use it both for called strikes and swings and misses against lefties and righties.

Eyanson also throws a curveball in the upper-70s range that also qualifies as a bat-missing weapon, and an improving splitter. He can throw strikes consistently and has the ceiling of a number two starter. The solid floor is perhaps as enticing, though.

RHP Kyson Witherspoon

2026 Stats: 4.78 ERA, 4.87 FIP, 75.1 IP, 34 BB, 78 K in High-A

Witherspoon, the Red Sox’s first-round pick in 2025, got a $5 million bonus after a brilliant couple of years in Oklahoma. He was assigned to High-A to make his pro debut this year, and while his ERA is a tad higher than expected, he has shown flashes of brilliance.

The 21-year-old, who is now Baltimore’s seventh-best prospect, throws five pitches. The best of them is a mid-90s heater that can reach up to 98 mph. It doesn’t move a whole lot, but deception makes it a plus offering.

The cutter would be his best secondary pitch, but he can also get swings and misses with a curveball and a slider. The changeup, however, is a work in progress.

Some believe that he could have a higher ceiling than Eyanson, but he also has a lower floor, mainly because he needs to show he can consistently throw his breaking balls for strikes. Still, he is a very talented young pitcher, but looks a couple of years away.

OF Enddy Azócar

2026 Stats: .295/.344/.530, 122 wRC+, 6 HR, 7 SB, 6.7 BB%, 22.2 K%, 39 G, 180 PA in Single-A

.279/.338/.547, 117 wRC+, 12 HR, 4 SB, 7.3 BB%, 25.1 K%, 46 G, 219 PA in High-A

Azócar is just 19, so Orioles fans will be pleased to know that he has hit 18 home runs already in the 2026 campaign, between Single-A and High-A. When writing his review of the Red Sox’s system for FanGraphs in May, Brendan Gawlowski and Eric Longenhagen wrote that the outfielder had “a chance to fill out and develop plus power at maturity without sacrificing much speed.” Well, it’s exactly what happened.

Azócar is now a top-ten organizational prospect in Baltimore, checking in at No. 8, and has all the makings of a future starter in the outfield, although ideally in right. He could hit 20 homers annually when fully developed, and is fast enough to steal 15-20 bases per season, too. His plate discipline is not elite; he tends to chase breaking balls, which limits his ceiling. However, he should be a contributor for the O’s in a year or two as he learns to translate his tools to more competitive environments.

C Carlos Narváez

2026 Stats: .187/.260/.275, 3 HR, 1 SB, 7.1 BB%, 33.5 K%, 62 G, 197 PA in MLB

Narváez is basically veteran insurance as the team waits for the new catcher of the future, Samuel Basallo, to get healthy. The two could share time behind the plate, with the new acquisition acting as a mentor for the younger backstop. Keep in mind, however, that Narváez is a fantastic defensive catcher who hit 15 home runs with a 97 wRC+ and 2.7 fWAR last year. At his best, he can be more than just a placeholder. With four seasons of team control after 2026, he is a nice get for Baltimore.

Final verdict

Analyzing the return package strictly from a value and scouting standpoint, it’s clear that the Orioles did well in the trade, so much so that they now have one of the most improved farms in the sport. They didn’t just give Rutschman away. However, everybody knows that the decision to flip their franchise catcher goes well beyond the field. It signals a new beginning in Baltimore, and that’s not necessarily a compliment or something the fanbase wants to hear.

It’s important to note, however, that all the pieces involved in the trade are expected to contribute at some point, and most of them are prospects of note. Some of them aren’t particularly close to the majors, but it’s clear that Baltimore got a lot of talent for Rutschman.

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