The Orioles have traded catcher Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox for RHP Anthony Eyanson, OF Enddy Azocar, RHP Kyson Witherspoon, C Carlos Narvaez and a Player to be Named Later.
For roughly the remainder of 2026 and Rutschman’s final season of team control in 2027, the Orioles are getting Boston’s No. 2, No. 4 and No. 5 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, plus an established major-league catcher. Eyanson is also ranked No. 51 overall by MLB Pipeline.
That is a premium return, even allowing for the considerable risk attached to the three prospects.
- Anthony Eyanson: Legitimate impact-starting pitcher headliner
Eyanson is not merely a high-performing pitching prospect. His underlying profile points toward legitimate major-league impact stuff.
The most impressive combination is:
32.3% strikeout rate
38.8% whiff rate
17.2% swinging-strike rate
52% ground-ball rate
.253 wOBA allowed
Only three home runs in 48 innings
He is simultaneously missing bats and keeping the ball on the ground. That is a starter’s foundation, not just a reliever overwhelming hitters with one pitch.
MLB Pipeline currently gives Eyanson a 65 slider, 60 fastball and 55 overall grade, ranking him 51st among all prospects.
The concern
The 1.69 ERA overstates how complete he currently is:
12.4% walk rate
41.5% zone rate
62.8% strike rate
3.31 FIP
He is succeeding partly because minor-league hitters cannot resist or contact his chase pitches. More advanced hitters may force him to land the fastball and secondary pitches in the zone more consistently.
Still, the swing-and-miss is so extreme that he does not need plus command. Getting to average control would be enough.
Projection: No. 2 starter ceiling, No. 3 starter realistic outcome, high-leverage reliever floor if the control never develops.
Orioles system placement: Immediately in the top three to five, and probably Baltimore’s top pitching prospect.
- Enddy Azocar: More than a lottery ticket
Azocar’s combination of age, level and power production is extremely encouraging. A 19-year-old producing a 117 wRC+ and .269 ISO in High-A is doing something significant.
His offensive strengths are clear:
.382 wOBA
.487 wOBA on contact
.269 ISO
24.2% pull-air rate
Only 33.1% ground balls
92nd-percentile speed score
The power does not appear to be coming from an unsustainable collection of cheap home runs. He is elevating the ball, pulling it in the air and producing damage on contact. MLB Pipeline gives him 55 grades for power, running and arm strength, with a 45 overall grade.
The important distinction in his risk
Azocar’s biggest issue is not excessive chasing. His 28.3% chase rate is acceptable.
The concern is what happens after he decides to swing:
32.2% whiff rate
80.5% zone-contact rate
25.1% strikeout rate
7.3% walk rate
That suggests a hitter who generally understands where the strike zone is but does not always make enough contact against pitches inside it. He may be vulnerable to quality velocity and breaking pitches that finish in the zone.
That is more concerning than simply being overaggressive, but his age provides considerable developmental runway. His 2026 production also shows that the contact he does make can be highly damaging.
Projection: Everyday right fielder or occasional center fielder with 20–25 home-run potential. The lower outcome is a power-oriented fourth outfielder whose contact limitations prevent regular playing time.
- Kyson Witherspoon: Better stuff than performance
Witherspoon’s 4.78 ERA and 4.87 FIP are not impressive, but his bat missing results show why he still carries substantial prospect value.
The encouraging indicators are:
31.9% whiff rate
14.55% swinging-strike rate
31.8% chase rate
24.2% strikeout rate
62.2% strike rate
Those are legitimate bat-missing numbers. MLB Pipeline still grades his fastball at 65, cutter at 60, curveball and slider at 55, and overall profile at 50.
Why the results have lagged
His problems are concentrated in three areas:
10.6% walk rate
39.8% ground-ball rate
10 home runs in 75â…“ innings
He is missing bats, but when hitters do make contact, they are doing more damage than they do against Eyanson. The .314 BABIP contributes to the ERA, but the home runs and relatively low ground-ball rate indicate that it is not purely bad luck.
This looks like a pitcher whose stuff can generate ugly swings but whose location mistakes are being punished. His overall pitch quality presently exceeds his command and sequencing.
Witherspoon should continue starting with the Orioles who can work on getting him into more advantageous counts, improving his fastball and cutter locations, and determining which breaking ball should become his primary finishing pitch.
Projection: No. 3 starter ceiling, more likely No. 4 starter if the command improves modestly. He has a late-inning relief fallback because the arsenal already generates whiffs.
- Carlos Narváez: Defensive bridge, right-handed backup to Basallo
Narváez should be viewed separately from the three prospects. He is not replacing Rutschman’s overall production and is not a major part of the long-term upside calculation.
His 2026 offensive profile is poor:
.187/.260/.275
.271 expected wOBA
33.5% strikeout rate
34% whiff rate
33.8% chase rate
The 91.5 mph average exit velocity and 38.9% sweet-spot rate provide a little hope, but he is not making contact frequently enough for the quality of that contact to matter consistently. Last year though he slashed .241/.306/.419/.726 and was 6th in the RoY voting so he’s not just a pure backup, there is upside.
His value is behind the plate for sure:
Five fielding runs
Four framing runs
Four blocks above average
82nd-percentile overall fielding value
Statcast also credited him with 12 catcher runs during the 2025 season.
His throwing is closer to ordinary, and the 1.98-second pop time is below average. His defensive value comes primarily from receiving and blocking rather than shutting down the running game.
Narváez gives the Orioles a nice defensive catcher to pair with Basallo:
Narváez handles demanding defensive assignments.
Samuel Basallo receives regular catching opportunities without having to catch every day.
Basallo can remain in the lineup at first base or DH.
The Orioles can jettison one of their two AAAA catchers holding down spots
Projection: Quality defensive backup who can temporarily handle a larger workload.
How I would value the four pieces
Player Importance to return Most likely value
Anthony Eyanson Headliner Mid-rotation or better starter
Kyson Witherspoon Major secondary piece No. 4 starter with more upside
Enddy Azocar High-upside position piece Power-hitting regular or fourth OF
Carlos Narváez Immediate roster piece Strong defensive backup/bridge
The Orioles addressed three separate needs:
High-end starting-pitching upside with Eyanson.
A second potential starter with Witherspoon or impact reliever.
Young position-player upside with Azocar.
Narváez provides a good defensive option at catcher with Basallo.
Final assessment
This is a quantity-and-quality return, not a collection of interesting names.
Eyanson alone gives Baltimore a legitimate potential impact starter. Witherspoon is another first-round-caliber arm whose underlying swing-and-miss is better than his ERA. Azocar is a 19-year-old already producing power against High-A pitching, and Narváez is a useful defensive catcher who fits beside Basallo.
For an injured Rutschman who is eligible for free agency after the 2027 season, the Orioles extracted a considerable divisional premium.
