The Boston Red Sox finally closed the book on the Adley Rutschman blockbuster on Tuesday night, and the last piece to move was outfielder Harold Rivas.
Andrew Parker of SoxProspects.com reported that Boston is sending Rivas to Baltimore as the player to be named later, finishing the trade that brought Rutschman to the Red Sox. Parker wrote, "To complete the Adley Rutschman trade with the Baltimore Orioles, the Red Sox are sending minor league OF Harold Rivas as the PTBNL, I’m told,"
Rivas had already been floated on social media when the deal first came together, though he was not part of the initial announcement. Now he officially is.
At the time of the trade, Boston had already agreed to send Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar, and catcher Carlos Narváez to Baltimore, plus the later-named player. That player turned out to be Rivas, who entered the deal as Boston’s No. 13 overall prospect.
Rivas is only 18 and is in his second season as a pro. Last year, he appeared in 46 games in the Dominican Summer League and hit .258/.393/.384 with a .777 OPS, two homers, 20 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, six doubles and four triples.
This season, he has played in 46 games for the FCL Red Sox and posted a .241/.343/.429 line with a .773 OPS, six home runs, 19 RBIs, 23 stolen bases, six doubles and four triples.
There’s clearly some upside there, but Boston was willing to part with a prospect that young because this was the price for landing Rutschman. The move already paid an immediate dividend Tuesday night, when Rutschman made his Boston debut and went 1-for-3 with two walks while handling things cleanly behind the plate.
He was the first All-Star catcher behind the plate for Boston since 2010, and the Red Sox are starting an All-Star catcher today for the first time in 5,792 days. October 2, 2010 was the last time an All-Star was behind the dish for Boston when Victor Martinez caught. Adley Rutschman is the first in nearly 16 years.
In Other News...
Vaughn Grissom Just Made His Red Sox Exit More Personal
Vaughn Grissoms departure from Boston already looked like one of those moves that quietly lingered in the background, and now it feels a lot more personal. The infielder said the Red Sox front office never gave him a fair chance to play, arguing they leaned too heavily on analytics instead of what he was doing on the field. Since moving on, Grissom has settled in as a more regular starter with the Los Angeles Angels, where consistent playing time has given him a steadier role.
Grissom also believes he has gotten better simply by being on the field every day, and his season line reflects a player who has found some rhythm. He is hitting .254/.315/.392 with seven home runs and a 0.5 bWAR in 78 games, numbers that do not turn the story into a full redemption arc but do make the contrast with his Boston tenure harder to ignore. For the Red Sox, it is another reminder that player evaluation does not end when someone leaves town. [Read more 🡒]
Adley Rutschman Already Changed A Big Red Sox Question
Adley Rutschman wasted little time making his presence felt in Boston, stepping straight into the middle of the lineup and behind the plate after being acquired in a trade and activated from the injured list. In a 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays, he started at catcher and batted third, and even after more than three weeks away with wrist inflammation, there was little sign of rust as he settled into his new surroundings.
For the Red Sox, the early takeaway was bigger than one game in the standings. Rutschmans arrival immediately changes the look of a catching situation that was already under scrutiny, and the club plans to handle his workload carefully as he gets up to speed with a new pitching staff and a new dugout. The next question is less about whether he fits and more about how Boston chooses to use him in the first stretch of this new chapter. [Read more 🡒]