What are the odds the Orioles trade Adley Rutschman? | MAILBAG

Question: What do you think the odds are that the Orioles trade Adley Rutschman? Do you think the only way would be for a No. 1 starter? From: Rob Jefferson

Answer: Rob, I think the odds that the Orioles trade catcher Adley Rutschman are pretty low. Had he not been subpar offensively for the last 1 ½ seasons, I’d say there was no chance he’d be moved.

If they traded him, the Orioles would have to be convinced Samuel Basallo could handle catching perhaps 120 games in 2026, and that’s a tall order for a 21-year-old with 31 games of big league experience.

I think the Orioles would want a top-tier starter who was at least two seasons away from free agency, and I think the price for that would be very high.

Question: Of the outfielders, Colton Cowser is more versatile, playing all three outfield positions. Heston Kjerstad has a little more power. Dylan Beavers has the most speed. But how can all three play at the same time? Samuel Basallo will likely play most days. The team seems too heavy with left-handed hitters. Do you think the Orioles will dangle one of them as trade bait for a starting pitcher? From: Nathaniel Mitchell

Answer: Mitch, you are correct that Cowser is more versatile than Beavers or Kjerstad, but he’s also the fastest among the three. It’s conceivable that Beavers plays left while Cowser plays center against right-handers while Kjerstad is the designated hitter.

The Orioles need to make sure Kjerstad is healthy in spring training. At this point, he probably doesn’t have a lot of trade value.

Basallo could platoon at first base with Coby Mayo or Ryan Mountcastle—if he’s still with the club.

The guess here is that if they’re trading for a starting pitcher, they’ll use some of the 16 prospects they received in their July trades rather than more established major leaguers.

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.