The Baltimore Orioles have had a disastrous season thus far, and their front office is gearing up for the 2026 season. During the 2025 trade deadline, the Orioles shipped off almost all their players on expiring contracts, including Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, Charlie Morton, and more.
This makes it clear that they want to hold onto their young core, but the problem is that they have yet to sign any of them to extensions, which could lead to frustration among their “face of the franchise” players like Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman.
Should the Orioles Consider Trading Adley Rutschman?
On a surface level, it seems unfathomable that the Orioles would let go of franchise catcher Adley Rustchman, who was taken with the first overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft, and swiftly made his way to the majors just three seasons later.
Bleacher Report seems to think that trading Adley is a real possibility, and when you dig deeper into the numbers, he doesn’t seem immortal in any aspect:
“Adley Rutschman felt like the long-term face of this franchise almost immediately upon his arrival in the big leagues in May 2022. Yet, here we are, 39 months later, and the Orioles have failed to sign him (or any of their other young stars) to a long-term extension. This winter feels like the point of no return. After back-to-back seasons nowhere near as proficient as his first two, this is where they could try to buy low and get a big extension done at a price that’s reasonable for them. And if they’re still miles apart in those negotiations, they might as well just trade him now and clear the path for top prospect Samuel Basallo to become the primary catcher next season. Goodness knows he looks ready with a near 1.000 OPS in Triple-A this year.”
As writer Kerry Miller indicates, this deal is contingent on the Orioles’ front office and Adley working out a long-term contract. The issue is that there have been no reports or communication, it seems, between the two on a potential deal. And with star shortstop Gunnar Henderson also needing an agreement, it looks like the Orioles may be willing to prioritize that deal first.
Adley Rutschman Has Taken a Strong Dip
Even though Rutschman’s numbers have dropped in the two seasons following his breakout 2023 season, any catcher with an OPS of above .700 is incredibly servicable in today’s game. Since 2023, Rutschman’s batting average has decreased by 20 points in the following seasons. Although there have been minor injuries, almost every major hitting category (HR’s, 2Bs, SLUG, RBIs, and OPS+) has decreased in 2024 and then again in 2025.
If Adley happens to be for sale, there’s no doubt that most MLB organizations will be making daily calls inquiring what it would take to pull a deal off. Assuming his market size would be large, the only teams that likely wouldn’t make a call on the Orioles’ two-time All-Star are the Dodgers, Mariners, and Brewers.
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