There’s no Baltimore Oriole who stands out as a symbol of the team’s current contention window than Adley Rutschman.
They drafted him in 2019 with a pick they earned by finishing 47-115 the year prior, signed him for $8.1 million (which at the time was the biggest signing bonus in MLB history) and promoted him in 2022 ahead of the team’s shift back toward contention.
While Rutschman’s promotion came just three years ago, it feels more like 30 years ago right now given the Orioles are in the midst of a nightmarish season.
And, as a part of that nightmare season, both fans and insiders alike have started asking uncomfortable questions about a variety of players on the Orioles roster — Rutschman included.
The Orioles trading Adley Rutschman may not be completely far-fetched
Rutschman returned from the injured list on Monday and went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored, the classic kind of Rutschman performance that fans have gotten used to over the past three years.
But those performances have been few and far between this year.
Rutschman went on the injured list in June (marking the first trip to the injured list in his career) and missed a month where Baltimore’s season bottomed out.
And it seems like there’s a chance that bottoming out could result in Rutschman finding his name in trade rumors this year.
While trading a player like Rutschman may seem confusing at face value, it makes a bit more sense when you think about Samuel Basallo.
Although the Orioles have done everything in their power to avoid calling up Basallo, it seems like he’s on the cusp of reaching the major leagues.
It would be interesting to see what the Orioles could get for Rutschman in a potential deal, as he’s a two-time All-Star with a Silver Slugger on his résumé.
His numbers this year leave a bit to be desired (.235/.324/.385, 8 HR, 22 RBI), but he’s still a career .258 hitter who plays a premium position.
He also seems to be tending up, as he was hitting .309 with three home runs and five RBI across 15 games in June before he got hurt.
Even if the Orioles don’t trade Rutschman at this year’s deadline, it seems like it’s time to start preparing to see his name floated in rumors in the offseason, which is when some teams prefer to make deals since there’s less of a deadline.
He won’t be eligible for free agency until 2028, so that abundance of team control could help increase a potential return.
Make no mistake about it, the Orioles are at their best when Rutschman is on the roster. But that likely won’t stop the team from assessing his trade value over the next 12 months.
