Will Orioles continue to trade their stars? | MAILBAG

Question: Based on the way the Orioles treated Adley Rutschman, do you think the rest of the young core are counting the days before they are traded for prospects (Gunnar Henderson in 2027, Colton Cowser in 2028 and Jackson Holliday in 2029)? From: Stan Haas

Answer: Stan, that’s certainly a fair question. If the Orioles had a better record and Rutschman hadn’t had three stints on the injured list, I don’t think he would have been traded last week.

Mike Elias did keep a key player, Anthony Santander, through his free agency year because he was of great value to the team and the Orioles were on their way to the postseason.

Elias didn’t think the Orioles, as they were constituted before the trade deadline, were good enough to qualify for the postseason.

So, if the Orioles are in a similar situation before next year’s trade deadline, yes, Henderson would likely to be dealt, but if they’re firmly in contention, I think they’d keep them.

It’s far too early to speculate about Cowser, Holliday and Jordan Westburg, but your point is a fair one.

Question: Is there any chatter about an Atlantic League team or affiliated baseball returning to Aberdeen? From: Stephen Brady

Answer: Stephen, I’m not a Harford County resident and am not terribly familiar with the local politics in the area, but I have not heard anything about an Atlantic League team coming to Aberdeen.

There are currently two Maryland-based teams in the Atlantic League, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars. There are also two teams nearby in Pennsylvania, the York Revolution and Lancaster Stormers.

It’s possible that a team could move to Aberdeen, but I’ve heard nothing about it.

As for an affiliated team, I can’t see that happening since the Orioles already have three teams in Maryland — Frederick, Chesapeake and Delmarva.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.