It's fair to say the Boston Red Sox gave up a lot for three-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman. Anthony Eyanson was one of Boston's top prospects, Kyson Witherspoon and Enddy Azocar have a lot of potential, too. (Carlos Narváez was good for the Red Sox last year, but he's batting .187 this season and wasn't going to be needed with the arrival of Rutschman.)
But at the same time, this was a risk the Red Sox needed to take. If it backfires (their former prospects turn into legitimate stars, Rutschman's recent injury concerns become worse, etc.), then so be it. However, Boston is squarely in the playoff picture right now, and the team has a real chance to make some magic happen in October.
For the last month or so, it became clear that the Red Sox needed to be buyers at the deadline, and that's exactly what they turned out to be. They are no better equipped to make a deep postseason run, and fans should be ecstatic about that.
Adley Rutschman addresses one of Boston's biggest needs
Boston desperately needed a more reliable everyday center. Narvaez wasn't cutting it, and Connor Wong has never cut it. Before trading for Rutschman, Red Sox catchers hit a combined four home runs all season, which ranked last in MLB. Given that Boston's lack of power has been a problem all season (its 113 home runs rank fifth-worst in the majors), adding more power at catcher alone should be a major help (through 67 games this season, Rutschman has hit eight home runs).
Not only is the Oregon native a huge upgrade at catcher for the Red Sox and will bolster their lineup, but he's also the best catcher they have had since at least Christian Vazquez (probably even since Jason Varitek). His ability to produce on both sides of the field should make the Red Sox that much deeper, and given that he isn't even 30 years old yet, he can be a real contributor for well beyond this season.
It always hurts to give up top prospects, but you have to give something to get something. We already know that Rutschman's presence in Boston should be positive; we have no idea if Eyanson, Witherspoon, or Azocar are ever going to pan out at the MLB level.
The Red Sox already had a solid chance to go on a deep run this postseason, but with this move, they are optimizing their window and putting themselves in a better position.
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