Adley Rutschman Orioles offseason trade chatter refuses to relent

Despite what the Baltimore Orioles front office says, Adley Rutschman trade speculation isn't dying down.

Jul 29, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) connects for a double to drive in the go ahead run during the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Many Baltimore Orioles fans felt like top prospect Samuel Basallo's arrival at Camden Yards, combined with his signing an eight-year, $67 million contract extension shortly after making his MLB debut, spelled the beginning of the end for Adley Rutschman's tenure with the team because he and Basallo are both primarily catchers.

It's no secret that Rutschman has experienced regression on offense over the past two seasons, which is shown by his mediocre .673 OPS in 322 at-bats during the 2025 regular season campaign. However, given that quality defensive catchers (which Rutschman inarguably is) are so valuable and that he was one of baseball's best hitting backstops as recently as 2023 suggested that the Orioles' front office would be able to get a great return for Rutschman in a potential trade.

Read more: Mike Elias admits Baltimore Orioles are 'behind' in one aspect of offense

But Mike Elias has asserted several times now that the Orioles aren't looking to trade Rutschman and will instead find ways to have both him and Basallo in the starting lineup for 2026. This could mean one of them (likely Basallo, as Rutschman is the better defender at this point) playing first base or using the DH spot.

Sep 10, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) looks on during the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Orioles 2025 interim manager Tony Mansolino expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “Adley Rutschman is going to be your catcher here as long as we’ve got him. He’s a really, really good catcher. The beautiful thing about Sammy Basallo is he’s also a very good first baseman," during a fan Q&A during “Fan Appreciation Weekend” on September 21.

"So between the first base position, the DH and the catching position, there is no doubt they can both be in the lineup at the same time pretty much every day," Mansolino added.

Adley Rutschman Called Top Trade Chip in 2025 MLB Offseason

Despite Elias' assertions about wanting to keep Rutschman, some in the industry feel like the Orioles are likely going to shop him (albeit discreetly) this winter. This was why Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter deemed Rutschman MLB's No. 5 offseason trade chip in an October 13 article.

In explaining why Rutschman is so high on this list, Reuter noted the same things about Basallo's presence creating a log jam at catcher, and that the Orioles could address other holes on their roster if they trade Rutschman right now.

“There will be no bigger position player on the trade block this winter than Baltimore #Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman,” per @BNightengale in his article this morning.

“Look for him [Rutschman] to be wearing another uniform come spring training.” pic.twitter.com/IiGPS3fhZH

— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) August 24, 2025

Ultimately, while the Orioles front office is saying they don't want to trade Rutschman away, one would have to assume they'd be willing to part ways with him if the right opportunity presented itself.