5 Best Adley Rutchsman trade partners for Orioles to solve their pitching problem

When the Baltimore Orioles made the move to sign top prospect Samuel Basallo to a massive extension pretty much the moment he made his big league debut, it was a clear indictment of their former top-tier catching prospect, Adley Rutschman.

In the fallout, the speculation that Rutschman will land on the trade block this offseason has become rampant, and at least one MLB insider believes that he will be the biggest position player name on the block this winter.

Despite a steep decline that started in 2024 and reached a new low this season, Rutschman should be very attractive to prospective suitors. The former first-overall pick arrived on the scene with a bang in 2022, posting 4.9 fWAR in just 113 games and placing second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. 2023 saw him crack 20 homers and post a 125 wRC+ while playing solid defense behind the plate and posting 5.5 fWAR.

If a team believes he can return to form and possibly thrive in a better environment, the Orioles could get a pretty penny for the once-hopeful face of their franchise. Former Orioles who moved on at the trade deadline, like Cedric Mullins and Charlie Morton, pointing out leadership voids and other clubhouse issues, might even strengthen the belief that it's not Rutschman who has been the problem, but rather the Orioles organization.

Baltimore certainly won't give Rutschman away for free, and with designs on competing in 2026, the Orioles will be looking for young pitching that is ready to step in and contribute. Not all matches are made in heaven, but these teams might have a need and the goods to make a move for Rutschman.

These five potential Adley Rutschman suitors represent the Orioles' best chance to fix their pitching woes

The Boston Red Sox

AL East intra-division trades, especially ones of this magnitude, don't happen often, though in this case, both sides might be able to help each other here. Connor Wong, one of the centerpieces from the Mookie Betts trade, has struggled mightily during his tenure in Boston. While that was offset in the early going of the season by the out-of-nowhere performance from Carlos Narvaez, the second half has seen the former Yankee-turned-Red Sox come back down to earth with a .158/.210/.316 line since the All-Star break.

Rutschman would represent an upgrade and could force Narvaez back into a more comfortable backup role. With a bunch of young arms knocking down the door at Triple-A, Boston could part with some if it meant getting a top-tier catcher. Top prospect Payton Tolle would be an Oriole dream, but more than likely, they'd have to settle for Connelly Early (2.82 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A) or David Sandlin, though he's struggled since arriving at Triple-A Worcester with an 8.36 ERA since his promotion.

On the other hand, if Baltimore is willing to take on some money, perhaps they could try and steal Brayan Bello away from Boston's rotation. The 26-year-old signed a six-year, $55 million extension last year, and doesn't start making significant money until 2028, when his salary balloons to $16.2 million.

The New York Mets

The New York Mets have their own budding young catcher in Francisco Alvarez, but that doesn't mean that David Stearns would be opposed to making a move. Alvarez, 23, has a top prospect pedigree and has produced in spurts, but he's yet to put together a full season of consistent performance.

In fact, the young catcher was demoted to Triple-A on June 22 after a horrendous start to the season, which saw him post a .652 OPS. Since returning to the majors, Alvarez had been on a tear before succumbing to a thumb injury. He'll be starting a rehab assignment soon, and he looks like down the stretch may determine how the Mets feel about him moving forward.

As for what's in this for the Orioles, the Mets have a trio of highly-ranked pitching prospects led by Nolan McLean, who owns a 1.46 ERA over his first two big league starts and followed by Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat, who is still trying to figure things out at Triple-A Syracuse. Landing any of the three would be a nice building block for the Orioles' rotation.

The New York Yankees

Another AL East Rival, another team with a young catcher with failed expectations, and another team with a track record for developing young pitchers. The New York Yankees will have some decisions to make in the offseason, and catcher Austin Wells will be one of the main players in the drama.

Wells, 26, is a former first-round pick who has regressed in his first full season as a starter and has ceded playing time behind the plate to Ben Rice in recent weeks. While Rice may seem to be the answer if the Yankees decide to minimize Wells' role in 2026, things are a bit more complicated than that.

There are questions about Rice's defense behind the plate, as well as concerns about what kind of effect catching full-time would have on his potent bat. Furthermore, with Paul Goldschmidt turning 38 and a free-agent-to-be, it's likely that Rice becomes the everyday first baseman. Therefore, Rutschman would give the Yankees the ability to keep Rice where he plays best while simultaneously giving them a shot at an upgrade behind the plate.

New York has seen some promising returns from youngsters like Will Warren and Cam Schlittler in their rotation, and some promising prospects like Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, and Ben Hess toiling away in the minors. How ready those pieces would be to make an impact in 2026 is unclear, but they all have the talent to be enticing to the Orioles.

The Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies might need a catcher this season with J.T. Realmuto's contract expiring at the end of this season. Realmuto will be entering his age-35 season next year, giving credence to the idea that Philly could look to get younger behind the plate.

With likely a full rotation next year, perhaps the Phillies would be willing to part with top prospect Andrew Painter, who would be a serious get for Baltimore. A lot of that, however, depends on the health of ace Zack Wheeler. If the club believes Wheeler will be ready to go for opening day 2026, or shortly thereafter, there's a chance, no matter how slim, that they'd be willing to part with Painter.

However, if Painter is off the table, this match looks significantly less appealing. The Phillies' next highest rated pitching prospect is Gage Wood, who has yet to throw a professional pitch since being drafted this year. Without the depth of options, Philadelphia would be a boom-or-bust option for the Orioles, despite being one of the cleaner fits for Rutschman.

The Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds have hung around the NL playoff race despite a daunting division, but could really use an offensive boost in order to take things to the next level in 2026. Jose Trevino is a former All-Star behind the plate, but the 32-year-old's 2022 campaign was more of an outlier than anything, and he's better suited to a backup role.

The Reds have a ton of pitching depth that could make this a match worth pursuing. As a cost-controlled veteran option, Nick Lodolo is finally (mostly) healthy and productive, but could find himself on the outside looking in of Cincinnati's rotation plans. The lanky lefty is a risky proposition, but one with big upside should it pay off.

Otherwise, Baltimore could look to raid the Reds' depth of young pitching talent, with targets like Rhett Lowder or Chase Petty making sense. With a variety of options, the Reds might make for an ideal fit.