The Red Sox traded **Rafael Devers** to the San Francisco Giants, and now there’s chatter about whether the Baltimore Orioles might follow suit with their own franchise cornerstone.
**Adley Rutschman** is having a rough year. The two-time All-Star catcher is posting a .698 OPS with a 102 OPS+ – numbers that wouldn’t typically put a franchise player on the trade block. But after seeing Boston move Devers despite having eight-plus years of control remaining, everything’s on the table.
The Devers deal changed the conversation around the league.
Boston managed to get the Giants’ No. 4 prospect, two big leaguers and another prospect while shedding the rest of Devers’ $313 million contract. That’s the kind of return that makes front offices take notice, especially when they’re looking at their own struggling stars.
FanSided’s Christopher Kline noted that the Devers trade opened doors for other teams to consider moving their own cornerstone players. When you look at Rutschman’s situation – his age, his contract control through 2027, and his current struggles – the math starts getting interesting for Baltimore.
“This has been a brutal season for the 27-year-old,” Kline wrote. “It’s probably a little early to panic, but also, his numbers have been on a steady decline since his breakthrough rookie campaign.”
The Orioles are 10 games below .500 and facing a steep climb in the AL East. Most fans would tell you Baltimore should hold fast and embrace the struggle – this is a talented roster that’s made the playoffs two years running. **Jackson Holliday** is just starting to find his swing at the big league level.
But here’s where it gets complicated.
If Rutschman can bring back multiple top prospects to replenish the farm system, it opens the door for **Samuel Basallo** – a 6-foot-4, 20-year-old catching prospect who’s posting a .959 OPS in Triple-A this season. That’s the kind of organizational depth that makes these conversations possible.
“If Rutschman can get you a few top-level prospects to replenish the farm system, while opening the door for top prospect Samuel Basallo… then maybe, just maybe, Mike Elias talks himself into a deal,” Kline added.
The timing matters too. Rutschman’s still young enough to be the face of a franchise for years to come, even in a down year. That means he’d likely command a haul similar to what Devers would have yielded before his massive extension.
From Baltimore’s perspective, they’d land multiple top prospects while avoiding having to pay Rutschman when arbitration and free agency kick in. It’s the kind of move that could set up the organization for another competitive window down the road.
The way I see it, the Devers trade didn’t just shake up the Red Sox and Giants – it showed the entire league that even franchise cornerstones aren’t untouchable when the right deal presents itself.
