At this time two years ago, it was hard to find someone who wasn’t ridiculously optimistic about what the future held for the Baltimore Orioles.
They had just finished their 2023 campaign with 101 regular season wins, capturing the AL East for just the second time since the turn of the century. Exiting the postseason in the ALDS was disappointing, but with a young core of Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Cedric Mullins, and Jackson Holliday set to lead the way for the foreseeable future, things were looking up.
Unfortunately, things haven’t exactly panned out as many expected. The Orioles missed out on the playoffs in 2025, driven by lackluster play from several of the aforementioned players and a pitching staff that was one of the worst in baseball.
After continuing on with their downward trajectory last season, many people are wondering if the Orioles have to make wholesale changes this offseason.
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Adley Rutschman Traded to Phillies in MLB Trade Pitch
Catcher Adley Rutschman was the biggest letdown of the bunch last season.
Early in his career, Rutschman was one of the most productive offensive catchers in baseball. He crested an OPS of .800 in each of his first two seasons, on top of smashing 20 home runs and driving in 80 runs in his second season alone.
His decline has been puzzling, and with his numbers bottoming out in 2025, he’s been the subject of some trade rumors this offseason. TWSN’s Marissa Myers believes Rutschman will indeed be traded, predicting that he’ll be dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies.
“The talent is still there with Adley Rutschman, and if all it takes is a change of scenery back to a winning culture to get him back on track, the Phillies could find themselves in a buy-low situation where they can land a star catcher to help propel their team forward for the future,” wrote Myers.
Could This Trade Actually Take Place?
There have been a few conflicting reports and quotes regarding Rutschman’s status in Baltimore. MLB insider Bob Nightengale reported that Rutschman will be on the trading block this winter, while Orioles GM Mike Elias said Rutschman is Baltimore’s “frontline catcher”.
The thought process behind the Orioles potentially trading Rutschman checks out. Samuel Basallo is among the top prospects in baseball and recently signed an extension, giving Baltimore a way to easily pivot if Rutschman is no longer in the picture. On top of that, despite his recent struggles, Rutschman’s track record should allow Baltimore to net a sizeable return.
Still, it just doesn’t make sense for the Orioles to move on from him.
For starters, he’s still under team control for two more years, giving the Orioles flexibility and more time to sort things out.
More importantly, it’s unlikely that there’s a team willing to make an offer that makes moving on worth it for Baltimore. The Orioles already have plenty of young talent in the mix, so a haul of prospects doesn’t do a whole lot for them. On the flip side, given Rutschman’s play in 2025, a starting-caliber big league talent likely won’t be on the table.
All things considered, seeing Rutschman get moved this winter would come as a bit of a shock.
Adley Rutschman Stats
Rutschman is coming off a down year in 2025, and his numbers reflect that.
2025 Stats:
90 games
.220 BA
.307 OBP
.366 SLG
9 HR
29 RBI
1.9 WAR