LOS ANGELES — Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow stayed in the shallow end of the pool during the 2024 and ’25 trade deadlines, making only minor moves that did little to improve the Red Sox roster.
This year, he took a running start and cannonballed into the deep end.
What a splash. The Sox acquired All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from the division rival Orioles for catcher Carlos Narváez and three highly regarded prospects.
Breslow wasn’t done there. He sent former first-round pick Marcelo Mayer to the Giants for left-handed reliever Erik Miller and a minor league outfielder.
The Sox also obtained outfielder Eli White from the Braves for Triple-A righthander Tyler Uberstine.
Breslow called Rutschman “a proven star in this league” who would upgrade an important position.
“This was an opportunity for us,” he said. “In Adley you get impact on both sides of the ball. He’s a premium defender, a switch hitter, so he’s a great fit for our park. He doesn’t strike out. He walks and gets on base. He can hit for damage.”
Rutschman came at a high cost. The Sox gave up two 21-year-old righthanders, Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon. Both were selected in the 2025 draft, Witherspoon in the first round and Eyanson in the third.
Eyanson has a 1.32 earned run average in 16 minor league games and ranks as one of the best pitching prospects in the game.
Baltimore also received promising 19-year-old outfielder Enddy Azocar and a player to be named later or cash. The Sox added Jake Rogers, a backup catcher, in the deal.
Breslow said it was “very uncomfortable” to trade Eyanson and Witherspoon.
Rutschman was the first pick of the 2019 draft, made his major league debut in 2022, and quickly became one of the centerpiece players in the game with three All-Star selections in his first five seasons.
But the 28-year-old has played only 157 games the last two seasons because of injuries and hit .234 with a modest .713 OPS. Just this season, Rutschman has missed time because of inflammation in his left ankle, a concussion, and now inflammation in his left wrist.
Breslow did not put a timetable on Rutschman’s return other than to say the catcher said he has been feeling better. Wong and Rogers will handle the position until Rutschman returns.
A highly regarded defensive catcher, Rutschman is known for building a strong rapport with pitchers and his leadership qualities. His on-field presence has been likened to that of former Red Sox captain Jason Varitek.
Rutschman is under team control through the 2027 season, and should greatly improve what was a weak spot on a team contending for the postseason.
Sox catchers have not graded out well defensively and are near the bottom of the league in every offensive category. Narváez, Wong, and Mickey Gasper have combined for four home runs and 28 RBIs over 342 at-bats.
In previous deadlines, Breslow kept his best prospects off the table. This year represented a shift in philosophy.
“Our strategy was more about targeting players that met our needs and allowed us to upgrade areas that we felt like could be upgraded,” he said.
“Going out and targeting them and trying to be aggressive and bringing them in as opposed to kind of sitting back and waiting for the market to come to us.”
It was only 40 days ago when it seemed sure Breslow would use the trade deadline to launch the rebuild of the roster of a last-place team. The Sox have since won 28 of 33 games to surge into contention.
A three-game sweep of the two-time defending champion Dodgers over the weekend further emboldened the Sox, who are 60-51 with 51 games remaining.
Rutschman wasn’t the only surprise on a busy day. Mayer has not been the player the Red Sox hoped when he was the fourth pick of the 2021 draft. And at 23, he was sent packing.
Mayer hit only .223 in 114 major league games and had trouble staying on the field because of injuries.
Miller, 28, has a 2.76 earned run average and an impressive 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 38 appearances. He joins Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, and Tyron Guerrero as reliable late-inning options with closer Aroldis Chapman.
For a team with, yes, World Series aspirations, a deep bullpen is a necessity, and Miller should be a welcome addition. White will fit in as the fourth outfielder according to Breslow.
The Sox return to Fenway Park to play the White Sox on Tuesday night and could have as many as three new players in the lineup. The season grows increasingly more interesting.
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social.