The Orioles have acquired minor league outfielder Harold Rivas from the Red Sox as the player to be named later in last week’s Adley Rutschman trade, per announcements from both clubs. Andrew Parker of Sox Prospects first reported the news shortly before the formal announcements. The final trade, then, will be Rutschman and Jake Rogers (whom the Sox designated for assignment last night) to Boston in exchange for Rivas, minor league right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, minor league outfielder Enddy Azocar and big league catcher Carlos Narváez.
The 18-year-old Rivas is light years from the majors but brings an enticing blend of tools to an already strong prospect package going from Boston to Baltimore. Baseball America currently ranks him tenth in the Red Sox system (though each of Eyanson, Witherspoon and Azocar would rank ahead of him were they still in the system). FanGraphs tabbed him ninth.
Rivas, who signed for a fairly hefty $950K bonus as an international amateur out of Venezuela in Jan. 2025, has yet to advance beyond Rookie ball. He hit .258/.393/.384 in 196 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League last season and is batting .241/.343/.429 in a nearly identical sample with Boston’s affiliate in the Rookie-level Complex League this season.
Scouting reports on Rivas tout his plus speed, defense and throwing arm. That already gives the O’s a decent floor with which to work. He’s currently a bit light on power, but Rivas has done a better job elevating the ball in 2026 after a grounder-heavy debut in 2025. He put about 53% of his batted balls on the ground last year and hit only two homers, but he’s cut that grounder rate to 45% in ’26 and has popped six round-trippers on the season. His wheels have been on display in both campaigns; he went 18-for-26 in steals last year and is currently 23-for-28 this season.
Rivas is still just 18 years old, so there’s room for him to add some bulk to what’s already listed as a 6’2″, 177-pound frame. It’s possible he slows down a bit as he fills out, but that’d be a fine trade-off for producing greater impact in the batter’s box. He presently draws 60 (or “plus”) grades for his speed on the 20-80 scale at Baseball America, FanGraphs and MLB.com. BA’s report also pegs him with a 60 arm and an overall 70 grade on his defense, citing not only his range (as one would expect for his speed) but elite jumps and reads in the outfield.
It’s a heavy package for the Red Sox to pay. Eyanson was already regarded as one of the sport’s best pitching prospects. Witherspoon entered the season as a consensus top-100 talent but has seen his stock slip a bit this year with some shaky results in A-ball, but he’s barely a year removed from being the 15th overall pick in the 2025 draft and is still only 22 years old (as of today; happy birthday, Kyson!). Azocar’s stock has gone the opposite direction, rising significantly amid a big showing across Low-A and High-A. FanGraphs recently bumped him into their top 100, where he sits 82nd overall. Narváez, meanwhile, had a nearly 3-WAR season in the majors just last year, though his output at the plate has cratered in 2026 as his strikeout rate has soared from 24.9% to 33.8%.
Baltimore controls the switch-hitting Rutschman for the remainder of this season and through the 2027 campaign. The former No. 1 overall pick and No. 1 overall prospect in the game had a pair of down seasons in 2024-25 but has bounced back with a nice .252/.336/.432 showing this season (117 wRC+). He’s a plus defender with high-end bat-to-ball skills, a strong walk rate and good production from both sides of the plate.
Rutschman is a clear upgrade to a win-now Boston club. Given the price the Sox paid to acquire him, it’d be surprising if they didn’t make an attempt to sign Rutschman long term, as they did after paying a big prospect price to acquire Garrett Crochet. However, with free agency looming after the 2027 season, it’s not clear Rutschman will be amenable to an extension.
