Red Sox decision at the MLB trade deadline looks like a disaster amid 3 consecutive series losses

The Boston Red Sox made one of the biggest moves of the MLB trade deadline when they acquired Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles. At the time, the deal looked like a major statement from a Boston team that appeared to be building momentum toward the postseason. But less than two weeks later, the early returns are becoming extremely difficult to defend. Rutschman has struggled badly since arriving in Boston, and his poor start has come at the same time the Red Sox have hit a major rough patch. Boston has now lost three consecutive series and have fallen out of the AL East race. MORE: MLB catcher Jake Rogers breaks a 122-year-old record Rutschman has started slow Aug 15, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman (31) and pitching coach Andrew Bailey (right) talk with starting pitcher Sonny Gray (middle) during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Through his first five games with the Red Sox, Rutschman is just 1-for-17, giving him a .059 batting average. He has yet to drive in a run and has already struck out nine times. That is obviously not what Boston envisioned when it made Rutschman the centerpiece of its deadline push. The three-time All-Star was acquired with the expectation that he would provide an immediate boost to the lineup while also giving the Red Sox one of baseball’s premier defensive catchers. He made his Boston debut on Aug. 11 after returning from the injured list and initially went 1-for-3 with two walks. Since then, however, the bat has completely disappeared. MORE: MLB awards predictions for the 2026 season Timing could not be worse Aug 16, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman (31) smiles on the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The bigger concern for the Red Sox is that Rutschman’s struggles are happening while the team is trending in the wrong direction. Boston went 21-4 in July and looked like one of the hottest teams in baseball before the recent collapse. The Red Sox have now lost three straight series, including losses to teams that entered this stretch below .500. The Red Sox didn’t acquire Rutschman simply for the sake of adding a recognizable name. They gave up significant pieces of their future to get him, including right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, outfielder Enddy Azocar, catcher Carlos Narváez and Jake Rogers. There is obviously plenty of time for Rutschman to turn things around. Five games is an extremely small sample, particularly for a player who was sidelined with wrist inflammation before joining his new team. But right now, the timing could not be worse. Boston needs its biggest deadline acquisition to start producing, and 1-for-17 with nine strikeouts and zero RBIs is about as bad of a start as the Red Sox could have imagined. — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —