Mike Elias sends clear message on Adley Rutschman's Orioles future

Baltimore Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias set the record straight on the team's plans for star catcher Adley Rutschman.

Aug 14, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) stands on the field during the middle of the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

When the Baltimore Orioles signed 20-year-old top prospect Samuel Basallo to an eight-year, $67 million contract extension just a few weeks after he made his debut in Baltimore, there was a lot of speculation and chatter about what this might mean for Adley Rutschman's future with the franchise.

Given that Basallo is a catcher like Rutschman, the initial thought was that these two guys couldn't play on the field together, or at least that the Orioles would have to make major changes to accommodate having both guys in the lineup.

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And considering Rutschman's mediocre production at the plate in 2025 (which came off another subpar season in 2024), many feel like Baltimore's best course of action would be to trade Rutschman to address other holes in the roster.

Sep 26, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) attempts to throw out New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (not pictured) at first base during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Interim manager Tony Mansolino seemed to pour cold water on a potential trade by 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," when fielding questions during the team's Fan Appreciation Weekend event 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.

Mike Elias Addresses Adley Rutschman's Future Role With Orioles

While it was nice to hear Mansolino's take on the Rutschman and Basallo debate, the bottom line is that his opinion won't hold any weight if the Orioles don't keep him around as manager. Therefore, it was more telling to hear what Baltimore's president of baseball operations, Mike Elias, had to say about this during a September 29 press conference.

"Yes. Adley is the guy. He will be our frontline catcher," Elias said, per a video from the Orioles' YouTube account. "Frustrating season for him coming off of a frustrating second half [in 2024]. He's aware of it, we're all aware of it, we're all working on it. There were injuries sprinkled in this year that I think were a factor in him kind of getting out of sync again."

Elias later added, "I thought [Rutschman] had a great defensive season. And he does a great job leading our pitching staff. So he's a key guy for this whole thing; there's no way around that. And we're gonna work with him to restore his presence in baseball as an All-Star. But he's going to be front and center as our starting catcher.

"We were encouraged with the way [Basallo] caught in the majors, too. There's definitely room to have two really good catchers at the major league level. That's a good problem to have. And as I've talked about, Sammy and Adley can DH, and Sammy can play first base. So there's a lot of playing time to go around between those two guys, and I'm glad to have both of them together," he concluded.

So there you have it; Rutschman doesn't seem to be going anywhere this offseason. But things could change quickly if his struggles continue in 2026.