The Boston Red Sox may have landed the most eye-catching name at last month’s deadline, but the player making the loudest impact hasn’t been Adley Rutschman.
Boston acquired the three-time All-Star catcher from the Baltimore Orioles for four prospects and Carlos Narvaez, a move that gave the club control of its starting catcher through the 2027 season. On paper, that looked like the kind of deal that can reshape a roster.
The early returns haven’t matched the billing. Since joining the Red Sox, Rutschman is 9-for-53 and has only two extra-base hits.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter argued Thursday that Rutschman has not been Boston’s "game-changing" addition from the trade deadline. That label, he said, belongs instead to the left-handed reliever the Red Sox got from the San Francisco Giants in the deal involving former top prospect Marcelo Mayer.
"That lefty reliever, named Erik Miller, has since emerged as the best setup arm in the Red Sox bullpen," Reuter wrote. "The 28-year-old has a minuscule 0.79 ERA and a 20-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 11.1 innings, with two holds and a win."
Miller, who will turn 29 in February, is under team control through the 2029 season. Since debuting in 2024, he has posted a 2.87 ERA across 141.1 innings with the Giants and Red Sox.
"Meanwhile, Rutschman is 9-for-53 with two extra-base hits since returning from a wrist injury and making his Red Sox debut on Aug. 11," Reuter added. "His additional year of control could shift the narrative in 2027, but right now, it's Miller who has been the game-changing pickup."
In the end, the Red Sox may have come away with one of baseball’s best left-handed relievers for Mayer, a player whose career has been slowed by both injuries and struggles on the field.
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