It was quite the cost, as Eyanson, Azocar and Witherspoon were three highly regarded prospects within the team's system. Rutschman, on the other hand, was an All-Star this season and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting in 2023. Mayer was the fourth pick of the 2021 draft but never lived up to expectations with the Red Sox thanks in part to injuries. "[Mayer] was a really big part of this organization, someone that was looked upon to be part of a core. "And they deserved—and our fans deserve—our effort, and the efforts from the front office to try and find ways to make it better."