The Boston Red Sox were being written off by many baseball observers after a disappointing first three months of the 2026 MLB season. But, to quote the now-famous line uttered by resurgent NFL quarterback Geno Smith a few years ago, they didn't write back. Now, they're in the thick of the playoff hunt and aided their cause with a major trade Monday.
The surging club, which started Monday four games behind the rival Yankees in the AL wild-card race, made a deadline-day splash by acquiring three-time All-Star Adley Rutschman from the division-rival Baltimore Orioles in a six-player deal.
Accordingly, the World Series future odds saw an immediate shift, as the Red Sox moved from +1700 to +1400 to DraftKings, while FanDuel moved from +1800 to +1500 and Caesars adjusted on Boston from +2000 to +1400.
Boston has been the hottest team on the planet since early July, when it began a franchise record-tying 15 game winning streak. The club has posted a 23-3 record since suffering an embarrassing 10-2 loss to the Washington Nationals on July 2 and just completed a 6-1 road trip with a three-game sweep of the two-time reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend.
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Prior to their turnaround, the Red Sox were mired in last place in the American League East, 14 1/2 games out of first place, and were 6 1/2 back in the race for the third AL wild-card berth. Following Sunday's 8-4 triumph over the Dodgers, they were only five games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays and occupied the second wild-card spot.
Ceddanne Rafaela is one of several players having a nice offensive season for Boston. He entered Monday fifth in the AL with a .289 batting average and fourth with 120 hits. Meanwhile, Sonny Gray is tied with Cristopher Sanchez of Philadelphia for the MLB lead with 13 wins and Aroldis Chapman ranks third with 27 saves.
The Red Sox weren't receiving much production from their catchers, however, as Carlos Narvaez, Connor Wong and Mickey Gasper combined for four home runs and 28 RBI. They addressed that issue with Monday's blockbuster trade.
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Currently on the injured list with left wrist inflammation, Rutschman is hitting .251 with eight homers and 47 RBI this season. The 28-year-old, who was the first overall selection in the 2019 MLB Draft, set career highs of 20 blasts and 80 RBI in 2023 and finished one shy of matching both the following year.
Boston sent Narvaez to Baltimore in the deal, which also brought veteran catcher Jake Rogers to Boston. The 31-year-old Rogers also had his best offensive season in 2023, when he belted 21 homers and drove in 49 runs. But Rutschman obviously is the main ingredient for the Red Sox, and most of the major sportsbooks believe his addition could make a difference for the team in its pursuit of first championship since 2018.
BOSTON RED SOX ODDS TO WIN 2026 WORLD SERIES
DRAFTKINGS | FANDUEL | CAESARS | |
Before Rutschman trade | +1700 | +1800 | +2000 |
After Rutschman trade | +1400 | +1500 | +1400 |
Boston made a few other deals before the deadline, obtaining outfielder Eli White from the Atlanta Braves and left-handed reliever Erik Miller from the San Francisco Giants, to shore up its roster for the final stretch of the season. But the addition of Rutschman was what moved the needle at the sportsbooks, and he might be just what the Red Sox need in their quest for the 10th World Series title in franchise history.
