Red Sox Catchers Rutschman, Rogers Tackle New Staffs After 2 Deadline Trades

3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Aug 4

Adley Rutschman and Jake Rogers arrived in Boston facing the hardest post-trade adjustment on the roster: learning a new pitching staff’s tendencies, sequencing and trust patterns on the fly.
Rogers called it a "thrown-in-the-fire" process, saying usage data comes quickly but understanding pitch shapes and go-to options in different counts takes 2 or 3 games.
Rutschman, traded for the first time and currently on the injured list with wrist inflammation, said the downtime should help him catch bullpens and build relationships in the dugout before returning.
Craig Breslow said the challenge is real but manageable for professionals, while PitchCom and video work have shortened the learning curve for catchers joining new clubs midseason.
The task remains rare at the highest level: baseball history has produced just 1 World Series start by a catcher acquired in a midseason trade by an eventual champion.