It sure sounds like the Orioles have finally faced the facts about Adley Rutschman trade

Bullet point summary by AI

• The Orioles are signaling they may trade Adley Rutschman before Monday’s deadline.
• Front office leaders acknowledge the growing reality that keeping the star long-term may be financially impossible.
• The Orioles now aim to extract a historic return that could reshape their rebuild — and the waiting market is full of desperate suitors.

In a perfect world, the Baltimore Orioles could slot catcher Adley Rutschman into their lineup for years to come. Unfortunately for fans in Baltimore, his salary demands make him a serious flight risk in free agency. That’s why officials with the AL East club sound like they are ready to make a big trade involving their All Star catcher before Monday’s deadline.

Orioles general manager Mike Elias openly admits that Rutschman is one of the “best things” the franchise has going at the present point in time. He also admits the franchise is “open-minded” to the idea of trading Rutschman before Monday’s trade deadline. The lack of contract progress between Baltimore and Rutschman’s representatives indicates he’s willing to walk for nothing in free agency.

Orioles are beelining toward trading Adley Rutschman based on the signs

That realization has been coming for a while but is still a bitter pill for Orioles fans to swallow. Rutschman is a homegrown star at a premium position. He’s just the sort of player Baltimore would like to build around to be competitors in one of MLB’s toughest divisions.

Elias and his front office deserve credit for, belatedly, understanding their market position. Losing Rutschman for nothing in free agency would be a disaster. That makes trading him ahead of the trade deadline a necessity for a franchise that wants to remain relevant in the AL East for the near future.

The upside for the Orioles is that they are in a position to demand a king’s ransom in exchange for Rutschman. This year’s trade market is full of teams that need to find an upgrade at catcher. There are not many quality options available to fill all of the needs at the position for potential contenders. The Rockies are currently taking advantage of their market advantage by looking for multiple elite prospects in any potential trade for Hunter Goodman.

What can the Orioles get in an Adley Rutschman trade?

Rutschman may not be a superstar, but he’s a 28-year-old who has already made multiple All-Star teams. He comfortably profiles as an above-average starter and his ability to hit from both sides of the plate only adds to his value on the trade market.

Would-be Rutschman suitors will try to drive down his market by pointing out that he is a rental. At the very least, any team looking to retain him will need to offer him a massive salary to keep him off the open market. The Orioles can acknowledge that reality, but it should not dampen their trade demands.

Any deal for Rutschman must start with a truly elite prospect. Someone on the fringes of the top-100 does not quality. Baltimore should be looking for a top-25 prospect who is relatively close to making their debut at the major league level.

That sort of elite prospect should need to be packaged with a young major leaguer with the potential to grow into an above-average starter. The Orioles sould not be overly restrictive on teh position that player occupies, but the upside must be present to make the deal.

Baltimore should also look for at least two more quality prospects to round out their Rutschman package. They’d love to get a catcher who can grow into his replacement, but they should not force that idea as it might restrict their potential trade parters.

In the end, losing Rutschman will hurt the Orioles in the short-term, but they have a chance to secure a package that can benefit them in the long run. It’s the only logical path forward.

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