BOSTON, MA—The 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline is less than a week away, and the rumor mill is getting hot as multiple teams and their executives look to make the final touches to their rosters this season.
Two of the most active teams this deadline are the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, who will meet for a critical three-game weekend series starting tonight at Fenway Park.
Both clubs are expected to be heavily active at this year’s deadline as the Dodgers, led by President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman, look to put the finishing touches on another World Series champion roster, and Scott Breslow of the Red Sox looks to build a sustainable contender in Beantown.
However, the two teams, who have made multiple trades with one another over the last fifteen years, have been connected yet again through a new bombshell rumor for Red Sox insider Sean McAdam of MassLive.com, connecting Dalton Rushing as a trade chip between the two clubs.
The former top catching prospect recently graduated from the Dodgers’ farm system after making his Major League debut in May, replacing long-time backstop Austin Barnes as the team’s new backup catcher behind All-Star Will Smith.
In the limited playing time, Rushing has yet to live up to his full potential, hitting .216/.280/.297 with a below league average 64 wRC+ and a shocking 41.5% strikeout rate. However, in Triple-A this season, the left-handed batter posted a 139 wRC+ with the Oklahoma City Comets.
According to McAdam, the Dodgers have had scouts lingering around the Red Sox’s Single A team in Greenville, presumably with an eye on shortstop prospect Franklin Arias–one of the top projected players in the Red Sox system–and lefty Brandon Clarke.
“Intriguingly, the Dodgers recently sent a second scouting supervisor to double up the organization’s coverage at Greenville, which could be a sign of advancing talks between the teams.”
Arias is the Red Sox’s No. 1 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline and has hit a combined .306/.385/.441 with a .826 across three minor league seasons.
Clarke, 22, is a left-handed pitching prospect and ranks 4th in the Red Sox system after posting a 2.65 ERA this season in Single-A.
The rumor is shocking, as it was reported by Ken Rosenthal and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic that the Dodgers’ brass was reluctant to include Dalton Rushing or top middle infield prospect Alex Freeland in any trades.
However, swapping a few minor league players in the Red Sox farm system for Rushing does not make the most sense, given the Dodgers’ other needs around the organization, such as the bullpen and the outfield.
Although this could be the start of a much larger trade, potentially involving multiple teams, but that’s just pure speculation so far.
One name that has been thrown around in trade rumors for the last several weeks is Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran.
Duran is coming off an All-Star season in 2024 but has taken a few steps back in 2025, slashing .254/.321/.428 with a 104 wRC+ this season. However, the value comes from Duran, who is under team control until the 2029 season.
One area the Red Sox have been looking to address is a controllable starting pitcher, and the Dodgers have a few names to offer, such as right-handed pitcher Emmet Sheehan or left-handed pitcher Justin Wrobleski.
Still, it’s not entirely sure the Red Sox would bite at two young arms rather than a proven No. 2 for their rotation, as McAdam also reported that the Sox shot down a trade proposal from the San Diego Padres for Jarren Duran, which included soon-to-be free agent starter Dylan Cease.
The Red Sox, while competitive this season, are also looking toward next year and beyond.
The team kick-started that process by moving on from All-Star third baseman/designated hitter Rafael Devers, shipping him off to San Francisco and the rest of his massive contract.
Duran, while under team control, blocks other Major League-ready talent, such as former prospect Roman Anthony. However, Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently reported that, despite the massive interest around the league, the Red Sox are leaning towards keeping Duran for the rest of the season.
While the Dodgers may be hesitant to trade Rushing due to his pedigree as a former top prospect in the Dodgers system, his role will be limited with Will Smith set to be the team’s full-time backstop for several more seasons.
As each day passes, it becomes increasingly clear that if Rushing remains at catcher, the situation is shaping up similar to the one that unfolded with former Dodger Michael Busch.
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