Padres should eye Adley Rutschman as Orioles’ latest deal reshapes catcher picture

In recent years, the trend of inking extensions with young talent has become increasingly more common. The Baltimore Orioles became the most recent team to follow this approach, as they agreed to a contract extension with their top prospect, Samuel Basallo, after only playing four games at the major league level. The deal is eight years in length and worth $67 million, meaning the 21-year-old is under team control until 2035.

While the extension locks up a young cornerstone for the long term, it also leaves us with questions about one notable player’s future with the ballclub.

Why Adley Rutschman should be on the Padres’ radar after Orioles’ latest deal

Adley Rutschman took the league by storm in 2022 as a 24-year-old, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. He was the definition of a well-rounded catcher, being an elite defender and an exceptionally solid bat. However, Rutschman has seen offensive decline over the past two seasons, and we are seeing the worst season of his career.

The swift extension to Basallo raises questions about Rutschman’s future in Baltimore. Could he be out the door soon? It isn’t far-fetched to say that this may be the case, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if teams were to inquire about him this winter.

San Diego should definitely be one of the teams to at least check in on him. The asking price wouldn't be too much. After all, a trade for Rutschman could significantly improve the team’s catching depth, as pairing him with Freddy Fermín would be a massive upgrade over what the Padres had before the trade deadline.

Rutschman is now 27 years old, and he isn’t set to hit free agency until 2028. I don’t see the Orioles trying to extend him. A trade seems evident; it’s just a matter of how aggressive the talks get during the offseason.

The Padres already struck a home run deal on Laureano/O’Hearn this year, so why not try and strike another deal with Baltimore? It just makes too much sense. This will surely make for an interesting offseason for both teams.

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