{"id":83501,"date":"2025-08-27T01:44:24","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T01:44:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=83501"},"modified":"2025-08-27T01:44:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T01:44:24","slug":"adley-rutschman-8-potential-landing-spots-for-the-talented-catcher-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=83501","title":{"rendered":"Adley Rutschman: 8 Potential Landing Spots For The Talented Catcher In 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The\u00a0Baltimore Orioles\u00a0shocked the baseball world last week when they signed recent call-up Samuel Basallo to an eight-year, $67 million extension. The rookie catcher had only played in four major league games at the time, but he is expected to be a middle-of-the-order power hitter. The problem is the team already has a franchise catcher in two-time All-Star Adley Rutschman. He is arbitration-eligible next season and cannot become a free agent until 2028.<\/p>\n

The team just put Rutschman on the injured list with an oblique injury, and he could miss the rest of the season. After three solid seasons, Rutschman was having a down year, hitting just .227 with nine home runs and 29 RBI. Rumors are now flying that the 2022 Rookie of the Year runner-up\u00a0will be traded\u00a0this winter. If that is indeed the ca se, here are eight potential landing spots for Rutschman.<\/p>\n

San Francisco Giants<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

After\u00a0Buster Posey\u00a0retired, the San Francisco Giants thought that they had found their franchise catcher in\u00a0Joey Bart. When he couldn\u2019t hit consistently at the major league level, they traded him to the\u00a0Pittsburgh Pirates. Now they are going through that same realization with Bart\u2019s replacement, Patrick Bailey. Bailey is a Gold Glove winner with a rocket arm, but he has slashed just .227\/.285\/.332 with 17 homers in three seasons with the Giants. Rutschman, a former Silver Slugger recipient, would be a huge upgrade offensively without being too much of a drop-off defensively.<\/p>\n

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Pittsburgh Pirates<\/h2>\n

The Pittsburgh Pirates thought they got a steal when they traded for Bart. He posted decent numbers in 2024, hitting .265 with 13 homers and 45 RBI (all career highs). Unfortunately, he reverted to the old Bart this season, hitting .245 with two home runs in 75 games. Pittsburgh\u2019s top catching prospect,\u00a0Henry Davis, has not panned out either. Davis has hit just .185 in 167 games over the past three seasons. Pittsburgh\u2019s plethora of good, young starting pitchers at the major and minor league levels would make them an a ttractive trade partner for the pitching-starved Orioles.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia Phillies<\/a><\/h2>\n

The Philadelphia Phillies have a decision to make at the end of this season. Their star catcher, JT Realmuto, is set to become a free agent. Realmuto, 34, is still solid offensively and defensively, but he has declined slightly over the last two seasons due to injuries. If Philadelphia decides to get younger at the position, Rutschman, 27, would be a great solution. The Phillies do not have anyone in their system who looks major league-ready at the position.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Aug 26, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher JT Realmuto (10) slides home to score a run ahead of the tag of Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jason Delay (left) in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Cleveland Guardians<\/a><\/h2>\n

The Cleveland Guardians have not had an offensive threat at the catcher position since\u00a0Roberto Perez\u00a0hit 24 homers for the team in 2019. Cleveland has had Bo Naylor and Austin Hedges splitting time at the position for the past two seasons. This season, they are hitting .180 and .140, respectively. Rutschman would be a huge pick-up for a team that has not had an All-Star at the position since Victor Martinez in 2009.<\/p>\n

Minnesota Twins<\/a><\/h2>\n

Rayn Jeffers is only under contract through the end of the season and will be in his final arbitration year in 2026 before he becomes eligible for free agency in 2027. The Minnesota Twins will either need to extend Jeffers or look for greener pastures. They have been using his primary potential replacement,\u00a0Mickey Gasper, as a utility player, but the rookie has only seven hits in 32 games. Jeffers hit a career-high 21 homers in 2024, but batted only .226. This year, he is hitting .261 with nine homers and 42 RBI.<\/p>\n

After an\u00a0epic sell-off\u00a0at the trade deadline, the Twins will be doing a lot of retooling. Rutschman could be a big piece of a Minnesota rebuild if the Twins could find the right trade pieces to appease Baltimore without depleting their own system any further. Jeffers should be cheap enough that they could keep him around for another year as insurance, in case Rutschman does not rebound from this season\u2019s injury woes.<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay Rays<\/a><\/h2>\n

The Tampa Bay Rays are another team starved for offense at the catcher position. Starter Danny Jansen, a career 218 hitter, was traded to Milwaukee. Nick Fortes is a career .222 hitter with only 22 homers in five major league seasons. Rookies Hunter Feduccia and Logan Driscoll are hitting .152 and .171, respectively, this season. The Rays picked up a promising young power-hitting catcher in the third round of the amateur draft in Taitn Gray. Gray, though, is only 17, and probably at least two or three years away from the majors. Rutschman would be a great pick-up to bridge that gap and mentor Gray when he arrives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Aug 8, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz (3) forces out New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) in the second inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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New York Mets<\/a><\/h2>\n

The New York Mets are always looking to make a splash. Adding\u00a0Adley Rutschman\u00a0could be the next one. Francisco Alvarez has shown that he can hit for power at the major league level, but he has not shown that he can stay healthy and field the position effectively. Alvarez led the National League in passed balls and errors in 2023 and passed balls again in 2024. The 23-year-old catcher was placed on the IL last week with a right thumb UCL sprain, w hich will need surgery at some point. Alvarez has only played in 52 games this season and only played in 100 games in 2024.<\/p>\n

San Diego Padres<\/a><\/h2>\n

Like the Mets, the San Diego Padres are also known to make big splashy moves. Unlike the Mets, though, the Padres don\u2019t already have someone at the major league level targeted to be their franchise catcher. 34-year-old\u00a0Elias Diaz\u00a0lost the starting job to deadline acquisition\u00a0Freddy Fermin. Diaz is hitting .198 this season, and Fermin spent most of the last three years backing up Salvador Perez in Kansas City. Fermin is a career .268 hitter, and San Diego will give him every chance to prove he can be their man behind the plate long term.<\/p>\n

The Padres also have 26-year-old\u00a0Luis Campusano in the minors. Campusano looked to have won the job at the end of 2023, when he hit .319 with seven homers and 30 RBI in 49 games. He faltered, however, in 2024, hitting just .227 in 91 games. Campusano could still get another shot at the job. He is currently tearing up Triple-A, slashing .327\/.438\/.616 with 23 home runs, 80 RBI, and 60 walks. Unfortunately, the shot likely won\u2019t come until spring training 2026 after going hitless in 21 major league at-bats this season. Campusano could end up a first baseman if he cannot improve upon his 9.9% caught-stealing rate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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May 25, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) bats against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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End Of My Adley Rutschman Trade Destination Rant<\/h2>\n

Baltimore could keep Rutschman around and switch him or Basallo to a different position. That would, however, diminish that player\u2019s value. A catcher who can hit at the big-league level is a hot commodity.<\/p>\n

Finding a spot to move either of them to could be challenging as well. The one thing that the team has plenty of is talented young position players. What the team needs is starting pitching. Rutschman could surely bring that in a trade, even after an injury-plagued 2025.<\/p>\n

The Mets, Giants, Guardians, and Twins will most likely be the teams blowing up the phones in Baltimore this winter. If\u00a0Steve Cohen\u00a0wants Rutschman in New York, he will probably get him.<\/p>\n

The team that needs him the most, though, is Cleveland. The Guardians are starved for offense beyond\u00a0Jose Ramirez\u00a0and Steven Kwan. Rutschman would be great with the Guardians\u2019 pitching staff and could add a much-needed bat before or after Ramirez in the lineup. He could be the difference maker to push Cleveland over the hump and back into the playoffs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Baltimore Orioles\u00a0shocked the baseball world last week when they signed recent call-up Samuel Basallo to an eight-year, $67 million extension. 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