In one of their biggest blockbuster moves yet, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox are reportedly on pace to land the season’s biggest trade. With the Red Sox aggressively retooling midseason to stay competitive in a tight AL East race, their sights are now set on the Dodgers’ star catcher Dalton Rushing, as per Sean McAdam. Understandable, as Rushing is arguably the top-rated catching prospect drafted back in the second round in 2022.

Rushing has been a backup to starter Will Smith, and well, it can’t be ignored that he is one of the highly regarded prospects. He currently has a slash line of .216/.280/.297 across 27 games. His playing time has been limited, and his strikeout rate is noticeably high at 41.5%.

Rushing was one of the Dodgers’ top minor league prospects during the beginning of the season. He got a call for the big league back in mid-May to fill in for veteran Austin Barnes. The Dodgers exclusively made room for Rushing, and as a result, they had to part ways with Barnes.

He’s currently batting .216 with 34 strikeouts across74 at-bats. Back when he was in minor leagues, the 24 year old had a .277 average with a .938 OPS across four seasons. Just last year, he hit a .271 with 26 home runs in double-A and triple-A.

The Red Sox are exploring upgrading their backup catcher’s spot. That’s because Connor Wong has been on a rough patch for a while now. He has held a .372 OPS and one RBI in 90 at-bats. For this season, he has a 0-for-30 record.

However, the interest in a potential trade isn’t one-sided. The Dodgers have also been scouting two of the Red Sox’s most elite young phenoms—Franklin Arias and Brandon Clarke. Both of them will be valuable chips in any franchise-altering trade discussions. Well, either way, the Dodgers seem to be close to parting ways with their top catcher.

Now that you know that, you might not know how Rushing landed in the trade buzz in the first place.

The reason why the Dodgers will have to part ways with Rushing

To your surprise, Dalton Rushing was even listed at no. 1 by Mark Chiarelli in his article where he named “high-end prospects who could be used as trade chips.” And so far it seems, the Dodgers will be using Rushing as a trade chip to fill in the other major gaps in the roster.

However, above all, how did Rushing land in the trade buzz in the first place? The thing is, Rushing has been blocked from getting regular playing time with the Dodgers.

Rushing does have the tools to become one of the league’s most versatile catchers. From having raw power to being exceptional at the plate, Rushing has an above-average arm to draw attention at this deadline.

Despite having the tools, there doesn’t seem to be much growth for him with the Dodgers. Especially given his limited playtime.

Ever since he was called up to the big leagues, he’s only had around 68 at-bats. He’s been playing behind the All-Star phenom Will Smith. Plus, the Dodgers only use him rarely at first base. He even has enough minor league experience in the outfield. Still, the Dodgers haven’t used him there yet in the majors.

Just because of these reasons, Rushing has been established as a top trade chip, and it would be best for both parties if he moved from Los Angeles.

At this deadline, the Dodgers will fill in their bullpen gaps and could also add another third baseman while Max Muncy has a long road to recovery. Moreover, if Michael Conforto doesn’t make an impact soon, then the Dodgers might upgrade the outfield too.