The Baltimore Orioles have a lot on their plate in terms of signing their “young core” of stars. That includes Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman.
At the 2025 trade deadline, the Orioles shipped away many players, most of whom were on expiring contracts. Now, after a disappointing 2025 season, Baltimore’s front office has some decisions to make regarding player personnel.
In a somewhat shocking extension, the Orioles announced today that they are extending top catching prospect Samuel Basallo to an eight-year, $67 million deal. The deal begins next season and includes a club option. So what does this mean for the former No. 1 overall draft pick Adley Rutschman?
Adley Rutschman Trade Speculation Heating Up
There were already rumors of the Baltimore Orioles’ two-time All-Star catcher being on the trade block because of numerous reasons. First, his ability to stay on the field has diminished over the last couple of seasons; the Orioles’ unwillingness to commit and sign their stars to contracts over $100 million, and his production has dipped in each of the last three seasons.
It’s hard to think that Baltimore won’t take serious offers on Adley. He is still one of the best defensive catchers in the sport, and has a track record with multiple seasons of an OPS over .800.
However, his OPS dipped to just .709 in 2024, and in 85 games this season, his OPS is .684, and his slugging numbers have depreciated each of the last three seasons.Â
Will Rutschman be moved? That answer comes this Winter offseason. His production has dipped, but he remains a two-time All-Star and a former top draft pick and prospect.
One man’s trash could be another’s treasure, and if the Orioles are unwilling to sign Rutschman long-term, he may request a trade in hopes of finding a suitor that finds him valuable, which would be several MLB teams. This is also a good opportunity for Baltimore to reload their farm system and maybe add another MLB-ready pitcher through a trade.
Samuel Basallo Might be the Orioles’ Future
The Baltimore Orioles were not hesitant to extend Basallo after playing in just four MLB games. He is one of the most impressive prospects we’ve seen in a while, and might be the future of Baltimore, along with Henderson.
MLBTradeRumors.com was quick on the news, and here’s what writer Nick Deeds had to say about Basallo:
“He was a consensus top-15 prospect in the sport entering the 2025 season and has only improved his stock since then after slashing .270/.377/.589 (151 wRC+) in 76 games for Triple-A Norfolk this season with 23 homers and a 13.7% walk rate. He did all that while being the youngest qualified hitter in the International League this year.
“That sort of sensational production left nothing for Basallo to prove at Triple-A in terms of his bat, and while his time in the majors has barely begun heâs already gotten off to a hot start by going 3-for-10 with a double, a run scored, five RBI, a hit-by-pitch and just one strikeout across his first 11 plate appearances in the majors.”
There are some question marks about his defensive ability, which may lead the Orioles to use him as either a DH or first baseman. Rutschman’s spot with Baltimore may still be safe if that’s the case.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Orioles’ Two-Time All-Star in Limbo After Major Front Office Decision appeared first on Heavy Sports.