Prior to the blockbuster deal that sent Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox at the trade deadline, the Orioles were also discussing Rutschman with two other division rivals. The Rays and Yankees were known to have shown some interest in Rutschman’s services, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post shared some details on the talks between the Yankees and Orioles.
Baltimore was willing to move Rutschman to the Bronx for a four-player package consisting of Austin Wells, Elmer Rodriguez, outfield prospect Yostin Pena, and one of either Ryan Weathers or Will Warren. The Yankees rejected this offer, with Heyman noting that Pena’s inclusion was “one big sticking point” in the negotiations. Heyman frames the situation as the Orioles giving the Yankees and Rays a final chance to top Boston’s offer, but it isn’t specified if the aforementioned four-player package was actually Baltimore’s final ask.
Rutschman ended up being moved along with fellow backstop Jake Rogers for a five-player package — catcher Carlos Narvaez, well-regarded prospects Anthony Eyanson, Enddy Azocar, and Kyson Witherspoon, and a player to be named later (who ended up being outfield prospect Harold Rivas). Since the prospects are all at least a year away from the majors, it was much more of a move for the Orioles’ future than the win-now nature of their offer to New York. Wells and Weathers/Warren could’ve stepped right into Baltimore’s roster, and Rodriguez made his MLB debut this season.
It’s worth remembering that the O’s were only 2.5 games out of a wild card spot on Deadline Day (August 3), even though the club had a mediocre 54-58 record. Moving Rutschman for the offer requested from the Yankees would’ve been a buy-and-sell type of move in equal measure, whereas the bulk of the team’s deadline moves (dealing away Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells, and the Rutschman trade with Boston) ended up being akin to a seller. The lackluster state of the American League still kept the Orioles on the outskirts of the wild card race for most of the season, but the streaky O’s ran hot and cold in pretty much equal measure, and finished with a 79-83 record.
At least in the short term, the Yankees seemed to make a good move in rejecting the Orioles’ offer. For one, New York’s catching problems became less severe since Wells’ bat finally woke up — he hit a solid .231/.341/.444 and seven homers over his final 138 plate appearances, following a dismal .161/.265/.272 slash line in his first 250 PA. By comparison, Rutschman hit only .222/.278/.410 over 126 PA for Boston following the trade.
Rutschman is under arbitration control through 2027 and he ostensibly has a higher ceiling, given his former All-Star status. Rutschman was named to his third All-Star squad just this summer, but almost all of his production came during a spectacular opening six weeks. Injuries and some extended slumps have dimmed Rutschman’s past reputation as a star, and that uncertainty will carry into 2027 given his lack of production to date for the Red Sox.
Weathers is arbitration-controlled through 2028, and Warren through 2030. Rodriguez drew top-100 prospect attention heading into the 2026 campaign, and Pena (who turns 19 later this month) showed great power and base-stealing ability in his first pro season, going from the Dominican Summer League to A-ball. Wells’ turn-around might not have necessarily happened if he’d been dealt, but the Orioles saw him just as a place-holder anyway, as moving Rutschman entrenched Samuel Basallo as Baltimore’s full-time catcher.
