Apr 8, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) looks on against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Adley Rutschman's Orioles trade chances get assessed

Originally posted on Baltimore Orioles on SI
By Grant Young | Last updated Jan 18, 2026 3:25 PM ET

The Baltimore Orioles' offense appears to be in a great position heading into the 2026 season.

Even if Mike Elias and the rest of the Orioles' front office were relatively quiet this winter, Baltimore's starting lineup would still have looked solid. This is because most of the team's young stars who underperformed last year (including Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser, and Ryan Mountcastle) are all expected to be better in 2026 than they were in 2025.

But the Orioles didn't hinge their team's success on that hope. Instead, they traded for former Los Angeles Angels slugger Taylor Ward and signed Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal in free agency, adding over 70 home runs from last year to their lineup. These two moves alone turned Baltimore's offense into one with rebound potential into arguably one of the best in the American League.

Not to mention that Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers will likely be on the roster from Opening Day, and prove why they were both considered top prospects.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Expert gets honest about potential Adley Rutschman trade

The arrival of Basallo last season made some wonder whether Adley Rutschman would become a trade candidate, as the two play the same position and Rutschman has regressed offensively over the past two seasons.

Chatter about Rutschman potentially getting dealt has persisted throughout the offseason. However, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller doesn't believe such a move is likely, which he made clear in a January 15 article.

"There has been no indication that Baltimore would even entertain trading away the backstop who sure looked like he was going to be a franchise cornerstone during his first couple of seasons in the big leagues," Miller wrote.

"Would probably take a Godfather offer for them to move him, and the only team maybe desperate enough at catcher to drum up something like that is the Phillies—if they fail to re-sign J.T. Realmuto," he added after saying that trying to trade for Rutschman could be classified as "Shooting for the Moon".

Adley Rutschman over his last 18-plus games dating back to May 11:

.254 AVG
.333 OBP
.418 SLG
.751 OPS
Six extra-base hits in 75 PAs

: @Orioles pic.twitter.com/l20AqZ1LOc
— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) June 5, 2025

The Phillies re-signed Realmuto since this article was published, which takes that potential destination off the table.

As Miller alluded to, it seems highly unlikely that Rutschman is headed anywhere, at least for right now. But another sub-par 2026 season, Basallo breaking through, or some other unforeseen scenarios could make a potential Rutschman trade during or after next season much more appealing for the Orioles.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Orioles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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