Baltimore Orioles trade away key pieces, including All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman
The Baltimore Orioles were busy wheeling and dealing on Monday, moving four players for a slew of prospects ahead of the trade deadline.
All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman was the biggest name dealt by the Orioles. He is headed to the rival Boston Red Sox, along with catcher Jake Rogers.
Baltimore also sent outfielder Taylor Ward to the Seattle Mariners and relief pitcher Tyler Wells to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Rutschman, 28, was batting .251 this season with 19 doubles, eight home runs, 47 RBIs, and 30 walks. This year, he was named a Major League Baseball All-Star for the third time in his career.
The 2019 overall No. 1 draft pick by the Orioles played five seasons with the Orioles. He was looked at as the cornerstone of the Orioles' rebuild.
Rogers played only three games for the Orioles after being acquired from the Detroit Tigers. But he was known as the personal catcher for two-time Cy Young pitcher Tarik Skubal.
Ward was traded to the Orioles following a 36-home-run season with the Los Angeles Angels in 2025. This season, Ward was batting .246 with 20 doubles, seven home runs, 30 RBIs, and 87 walks. He leads the American League in walks and ranks sixth in on-base percentage.
Wells, 31, a right-handed pitcher out of the bullpen, was 2-2 with four saves and a 2.67 ERA (16 ER/54.0 IP) with 39 hits (6 HR), 13 walks, two hit batters, and 53 strikeouts in 43 games this season.
The Orioles traded starting pitcher Dean Kremer to the Minnesota Twins last week.
Who did the Orioles get in return?
The biggest trade piece the Orioles get in return is Boston's top pitching prospect, Anthony Eyanson, who was the Red Sox's No. 2 overall prospect.
Eyanson, 21, was 4-0 with a 1.32 ERA, with 35 hits, 11 total runs, 26 walks, one hit batter, and 94 strikeouts in 16 games between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland this season.
Also in the Rutschman trade, Baltimore receives major league catcher Carlos Narváez, who hit .187 in 62 games with the Red Sox this season. The Orioles also acquired minor league pitcher Kyson Witherspoon (the Red Sox No. 4 prospect) and minor league outfielder Enddy Azocar (Boston's No. 5 prospect).
For Ward, the Orioles got right-handed relief pitcher Alex Hoppe, who has a 5.79 ERA in 24 relief appearances for the Seattle Mariners. The Orioles received minor league right-handed pitchers Brock Moore and Harrison Kreiling in the deal.
The Orioles acquired minor league right-handed pitcher Michael Forret from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Tyler Wells.
Forret, 22, was 7-2 with a 3.29 ERA with 74 hits, 36 total runs, 40 walks, four hit batters, and 102 strikeouts in 19 starts between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham this season. He was Tampa Bay's No. 8 prospect.
In another trade, Baltimore received Christian Franklin from the Washington Nationals for minor league pitcher Joe Glassey. Franklin hit .249 with 17 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 57 runs, 39 RBI, 65 walks, and 17 steals in 93 games this season with Triple-A Rochester.
Orioles the rest of the way
The Baltimore Orioles traded away some of their key pieces, while sitting in fourth place in the American League East, and 2.5 games out of the final wild card spot.
The Orioles host the Los Angeles Angels for a three-game series starting on Tuesday, Aug. 4 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.