Yankees Reportedly Wanted Superstar Red Sox Landed at MLB Trade Deadline originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
When it was reported that the Baltimore Orioles might move on from Adley Rutschman ahead of the 2026 MLB trade deadline, the assumption was that the New York Yankees would be heavily interested.
The Yankees desperately needed a catcher, and there's a strong argument that Rutschman is still among the top three catchers in the sport.
However, instead of the Yankees doing what they needed in terms of a trade package, they eventually sent him to the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox paid a massive price, one that made sense at the time. Even now, as long as Boston keeps him around, he's set to hit the free-agent market next offseason, it'll be seen as a smart trade.
However, according to the latest report, New York had a chance to land him, which makes it all the more satisfying that Boston ended up getting the job done.
“The Red Sox paid a heavy price for Rutschman because division rivals, the Yankees and Rays, were also discussing a trade to acquire him from the Orioles. The Rays ultimately acquired Liam Hicks from the Marlins, but the Yankees were trying to add a catcher ahead of the deadline.
“According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Orioles were willing to trade Rutschman to the Yankees and wanted a package of at least four players that consisted of catcher Austin Wells, right-handed pitcher Elmer Rodriguez, outfield prospect Yostin Pena, and either one of Ryan Weathers or Will Warren. The Yankees ultimately rejected this due to not wanting to trade Pena,” Chris Henrique wrote.
While the Yankees recently beat the Red Sox in the Wild Card round of the American League playoffs, the Yankees' incompetence over the past couple of years has definitely benefited the Red Sox.
Of course, trades don't guarantee a World Series title, but the Red Sox have set themselves up well with some of these moves.
When healthy, there's an argument they'll be the best team in the American League next season, and Rutschman will be a big part of why.