The Baltimore Orioles number one decision this offseason will be whether or not to trade catcher Adley Rutschman to another team. With two years remaining on his deal, there is no doubt that other MLB teams will have to pay a price in order to get him.
One position that Baltimore could potentially trade Rutschman for is starting pitching. That might be the biggest weaknesses on the Orioles roster, and they will also need new bullpen arms. If they were to trade Rutschman this offseason, it means that the Baltimore organization is very comfortable with Samuel Basallo as the full-time catcher moving forward.
Baltimore Orioles Could Potentially Trade Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox for Pitching in the Offseason
There is no doubt that the Orioles will look to trade Rutschman out of the AL East and potential out of the American League as well. It would be better if they were to trade him to the National League, but is there a world where the best trade could potentially be in the division?
Well, birdswatcher.com, which is powered by fansided, thinks that Rutschman could potentially be traded to the Boston Red Sox this offseason for starting pitching. Stephen Parello said about the Orioles potentially making a deal with the Red Sox in the offseason,
"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 goal for the Orioles this offseason is for them to try and trade for Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan or Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara. It would be more logical for the Orioles to trade with the Twins or the Marlins rather than trading Rutschman to the Red Sox. That would not be a good move for general manager Mike Elias.
The Red Sox trading away Bello would also not be likely. Boston already got rid of Walker Buehler. There only other reliable starter is Garrett Crochet. This potential trade between the Red Sox and the Orioles would not make sense. There would be better suitors for Rutschman than the Red Sox.
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