The unthinkable has become a reality.

The Orioles traded catcher Adley Rutschman, the first-overall selection in the 2019 draft, to the Red Sox this afternoon. A source confirmed that Boston checked the medicals and the deal was finalized.

Once the No. 1 prospect in baseball and arguably the young face of the franchise, Rutschman lost his untouchable status as he neared free agency and the demand for catchers intensified near the deadline. The team was supposed to be operating as both buyers and sellers, a complicated dance that moved Rutschman out the door.

Outfielder Taylor Ward beat him to it with his trade to the Mariners.

President of baseball operations Mike Elias offered two answers this season when asked about Rutschman’s secured status on the team.

Earlier in the summer, he referred to Rutschman as a cornerstone of the organization and called him “an enormous part of it.”

“I wish our commitment was greater than it is,” Elias said. “We want him here forever.”

Elias has more nice things to say about Rutschman on Friday but also said he needed to be “open-minded” when it came to the trade market.

“Yeah, we love him,” Elias said. “You feel it when he’s gone from the team. Yeah, absolutely love Adley and having him as long as we can. But as I mentioned, I think we put ourselves in a position where we’ve got to be pretty open-minded here as we go into these talks. But Adley is one of the best things that we have going for us.”

Going, going, gone.

The Orioles also had Rutschman trade discussions with the Yankees, Rays and Reds, according to industry sources.

Rutschman was the second player drafted first overall by the Orioles after pitcher Ben McDonald in 1989. They chose him over prep shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., taken second by the Royals. The former College World Series Most Outstanding Player at Oregon State was called up on May 21, 2022, one of the most anticipated debuts in franchise history. He made three All-Star teams, the most recent last month, and won a Silver Slugger in 2023.

On the injured list again as the trade was consummated, Rutschman batted .254/.342/.414 with 122 doubles, six triples, 69 home runs, 277 RBIs and a 16.6 bWAR in 572 games. He was experiencing a resurgence this year with a .251/.331/.433 line, 19 doubles, eight homers and 47 RBIs in 67 games. He threw out 37.2 percent of runners attempting to steal, compared to the league average of 22.5.

Unfortunately for Rutschman and a team so dependent on him, he returned to the IL with inflammation in his left elbow. He’s started a hitting progression and done some throwing on the field, and he’s supposed to go on a rehab assignment this week.

Rutschman already was sidelined with inflammation in his left ankle and a concussion. He made his first two career trips to the IL last season with strained left and right obliques.

Samuel Basallo also is on the IL with inflammation in his right shoulder. He will be the starter when he returns, and the Orioles probably will choose Jake Rogers as the backup. They also have Yohel Pozo on the roster.

The Red Sox come back to Baltimore for a four-game series Sept. 3-6. An emotional return awaits.

Rutschman is a career .239/.326/.372 hitter in 28 games at Fenway Park. He went 5-for-5 with a walk and four RBIs on Opening Day 2023 in Boston.

Going back to 1901, no catcher had recorded five hits or gotten on base six times in the season’s first game.

“There have been a lot of great players that have worn this uniform,” manager Brandon Hyde said afterward. “It’s not going to be the only time you’re going to say that about Adley.”

The uniform has changed. And so, apparently, has the Orioles’ motivation to make an aggressive push for a playoff berth after dropping three of their last four series and falling four games below .500.

The unfathomable becomes possible when a team underachieves.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first with the trade news.

*Multiple sources confirmed that the return for Rutschman is right-hander Anthony Eyanson, catcher Carlos Nárvaez, right-hander Kyson Witherspoon, outfielder Enddy Azocar and a player to be named later.

A source also confirmed that the Orioles are sending catcher Jake Rogers to the Red Sox.

Eyanson, 21, was a third-round pick in the 2025 draft out of LSU who made five starts with High-A Greenville and allowed one run with three walks and 34 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings. He moved up to Double-A Portland and went 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 11 games (10 starts), with 60 strikeouts in 48 innings.

MLB Pipeline ranked Eyanson as Boston’s No. 2 prospect. He’s 33rd overall by Baseball America and 49th by MLB Pipeline, and the expectation is that he could make his major league debut in 2027.

Eyanson has a 65-grade slider and 60-grade fastball per MLB Pipeline.

Nárvaez, 27, should provide immediate help, especially with Rogers traded, after appearing in 62 games this season and 186 in the majors over three years. He made his debut with the Yankees in 2024 and played in six games.

Nárvaez is a career .225/.293/.373 hitter. He had 27 doubles, 15 home runs and 50 RBIs in 118 games in 2025 and finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting. He’s thrown out 26.7 percent of runners attempting to steal.

Witherspoon, 21, was Boston’s No. 4 prospect according to MLB Pipeline after being selected 15th overall in 2025 out of the University of Oklahoma. He made 17 starts this year with Greenville and posted a 4.78 ERA and 1.394 WHIP with 34 walks and 78 strikeouts in 75 1/3 innings.

MLB Pipeline gives Witherspoon’s fastball a 65 grade and his cutter a 60. The fastball touches 99 mph.

Azocar, 19, is the Red Sox’s No. 5 prospect who hit a combined .286/.341/.540 with 27 doubles, six triples, 18 home runs and 63 RBIs in a combined 85 games in Class A and High-A. He struck out 95 times.

The Red Sox signed Azocar to a $40,000 bonus out of Venezuela in 2024.

The Orioles’ top prospects list and about to undergo major changes.

Among the many outlets reporting details of the trade are MLB.com, The Athletic, The Boston Globe, The Baltimore Banner and The Baltimore Sun.