Red Sox Fans Already Have One Deadline Deal To Worry About

Former Red Sox prospects are making waves-or facing woes-in their new homes, reshaping narratives post-trade deadline.

The Red Sox turned over a chunk of their system at the trade deadline, and a few weeks later there’s already a clearer picture of how those former Boston pieces are settling in elsewhere.

Boston’s deadline haul helped stabilize the big league club, which bounced back from a rough stretch and has held onto the No. 2 spot in the American League Wild Card race. But the other side of the deadline is worth watching too: the young players and prospects shipped out in the flurry of deals. Some are injured, some are already producing, and a couple are making strong first impressions with new organizations.

Connelly Early was the first player Craig Breslow moved before the deadline, and the left-hander still hasn’t gotten much traction since landing with the Washington Nationals. Early was hurt when Boston traded him, and his timetable to return remains unclear.

Marcelo Mayer’s situation has followed a similar path. The former No. 4 overall pick went to the San Francisco Giants in the deal that brought Erik Miller and Carlos Gutierrez back to Boston, and he was also injured at the time of the trade.

Mayer has yet to debut for his new team, though he began a rehab assignment on August 13. According to the Giants’ injury updates, he’s expected to make his debut during the Giants’ first home series after their matchup with the Red Sox.

Tyler Uberstine has already been moved into a new lane with the Atlanta Braves, who sent him straight to Triple-A Gwinnett. The right-hander has made four appearances there and thrown five scoreless innings.

Carlos Narváez, the catcher Boston sent to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Adley Rustchman and Jake Rogers, hasn’t found much offensive rhythm since the swap. Through 13 games, he’s batting .079 with three singles in 38 at-bats, along with 12 strikeouts and two walks.

The glove, though, has held up. He has three Blocks Above Average with Baltimore after posting four in Boston this season.

The biggest prospect Boston moved was Anthony Eyanson, the 2025 third-round pick and MLB Pipeline’s No. 49 prospect. Baltimore now has him ranked as its No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, and he’s made two starts in Double-A with the Chesapeake Baysox. In 17.1 innings, he’s put up a 2.60 ERA with 24 strikeouts.

Kyson Witherspoon is another Boston first-rounder who found a new home in the Orioles system. He’s now the fifth Red Sox first-round pick traded by the club in the last six, joining Nick Yorke, Mayer, Kyle Teel, and Braeden Montgomery.

Witherspoon had been struggling at High-A Greenville, but he’s looked better in a small sample at High-A Frederick. In two starts, he’s posted a 1.93 ERA across 9.1 innings, striking out 12 while walking seven.

MLB Pipeline ranks him No. 12 on Baltimore’s top 30 prospects list.

Enddy Azocar may be the name that jumps out most for Boston fans looking at the return haul. The 19-year-old outfielder was a top-five prospect in the Red Sox organization at the time of the trade and now sits at No. 9 in Baltimore’s stronger system.

He has been scorching at High-A, hitting .364 with a 1.091 OPS. In 13 games, he has eight extra-base hits and 16 RBI, and he could end up being the player the Red Sox miss most from the deal.

Harold Rivas was the player to be named later in the Rutschman trade. The 18-year-old outfielder signed with Boston in the 2025 international class and received the second-highest bonus in that cycle.

He was in the Florida Complex League with the Red Sox, whose season ended in July, so unless Baltimore bumps him to Single-A, his first game in the organization won’t come until next season. MLB Pipeline has him at No. 25 on the Orioles’ top 30 list.

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