The Red Sox’s decision to land Adley Rutschman has a way of making the Dodgers’ Tarik Skubal deal look smarter by the minute.
Los Angeles already drew praise when it struck for Skubal, and the reaction was easy to understand. The Dodgers got the two-time reigning American League Cy Young winner without giving up either of their top two prospects, even though Detroit was moving the most valuable pitcher on the market.
On the surface, that was a hefty price. In the context of what Boston just paid, it starts to look like a bargain.
Boston’s haul came at a steep cost. The Red Sox parted with their Nos. 2, 4 and 5 prospects - Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon and Enddy Azocar - plus major league catcher Carlos Narváez and a player to be named later.
Eyanson was also ranked No. 49 overall by MLB Pipeline. That was the price for Rutschman and backup catcher Jake Rogers.
Skubal’s return from the Dodgers was sizable, but not nearly as draining. Los Angeles sent Detroit three prospects ranked among the top 17 in its system: outfielder Zyhir Hope, right-hander River Ryan and right-hander Brady Smith.
Hope and Ryan also landed inside MLB Pipeline’s top 100. It was a significant package for a pitcher who can hit free agency after the season, but Boston’s move put that number into sharper focus.
Rutschman is still a recognizable name and an upgrade behind the plate, but he is not producing like the player who looked ready to become a star in 2022 and 2023. He posted 5.5 fWAR in 2023, then dropped to 2.7 in 2024 and 1.2 in an injury-shortened 2025.
This season, he has rebounded to 2.3 fWAR while hitting .251/.331/.433 with eight home runs in 67 games, though he is now on the injured list with left wrist inflammation. It is already his third IL stint of the year.
Skubal’s résumé is in a different class. He arrived in Los Angeles with a 2.79 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 116 strikeouts in 16 starts, giving the Dodgers the best pitcher available and maybe the most intimidating postseason starter in the sport.
There is one important wrinkle: Rutschman is under team control through 2027, while Skubal is a rental. That extra year matters, especially with catching talent being so hard to find.
Even so, Boston gave up three top-five prospects, a major league catcher and another future piece for an injured player who has not topped 3.0 fWAR since 2023. The Dodgers gave up less organizational talent for a back-to-back Cy Young winner who gives them a real shot at a third straight championship.
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Max Muncy Became One Of The Dodgers Best Bets Ever
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Now 35, Muncy is still giving the Dodgers the kind of steady impact that made him so valuable in the first place. His continued success has come with a simple explanation on his end: better health. For a player whose path nearly took him out of the sport entirely, the fact that he is still performing at a high level in 2026 only adds to the sense that Los Angeles found far more than a reclamation project. [Read more 🡒]