Yankees lead crowded chase for Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman

Adley Rutschman was supposed to be the face of the Orioles rebuild. Instead, with Baltimore stuck in neutral and Monday's trade deadline bearing down, the switch-hitting catcher is officially available. Mark Feinsand reported that the Orioles have discussed Rutschman with multiple teams as Baltimore "examines all options," and the list of suitors reads like a who's who of contenders in need of catching help.

Mark Feinsand

@Feinsand

The Orioles have discussed Adley Rutschman with multiple teams, sources said, as Baltimore examines all options ahead of Monday's Trade Deadline. Several teams including the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, White Sox, Rangers and Dodgers have been believed to be looking for catching help.

According to Feinsand, the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, White Sox, Rangers and Dodgers have all been believed to be in the market for a catcher, and Baltimore is willing to at least field calls on Rutschman as part of that scramble. That's a stacked list of teams, some of whom are direct rivals of both the Orioles and each other, which tells you how thin the catching market is around the league right now. Feinsand did throw a bit of cold water on one name specifically, noting it's unlikely the Dodgers actually pursue someone like Rutschman given Will Smith appears to be trending healthy, even while cautioning it's naive to ever fully rule LA out of anything.

Mark Feinsand

@Feinsand

Orioles appear to be open to moving Adley ... and plenty of teams are in need of catching. The latest on Rutschman: t.co/KxTuHwWmnx

This isn't coming out of nowhere. Baltimore already committed 8 years and a reported $67 million extension to Samuel Basallo, its top catching prospect, effectively signaling the organization sees him as the long-term answer behind the plate. Rutschman, meanwhile, is playing out a one-year, $7.25 million deal and is slated for free agency after the 2027 season, with a long-term extension looking increasingly unlikely. Add in an injury-riddled stretch of the past season and a half, and it starts to make sense why the Orioles would at least listen on a former No. 1 overall pick and franchise cornerstone.

The Yankees have been the most aggressive team in this hunt, and Rutschman is far from their only catching option. Jon Heyman reported New York has also checked in on Hunter Goodman and Tyler Stephenson, casting a wide net at the position ahead of the deadline. Colorado's price for Goodman, per Feinsand, is "extremely high" given his 3 years of remaining control and his importance to the Rockies lineup, which is a big reason Goodman was still viewed as less than 50-50 to be moved anywhere.

MLB Trade Rumors

@mlbtraderumors

Orioles "Open-Minded" About Buying Or Selling At Deadline, Rutschman Trade t.co/kkMKLHzwKT

New York's search hasn't been limited to catchers, either. Reports also connected the Yankees to Rockies outfielder Luis Garcia Jr., a sign the front office is treating this deadline as an all-hands effort to patch multiple holes rather than betting everything on one splashy trade. Whether that ends with Rutschman in pinstripes, a Goodman blockbuster, or something smaller at the margins, the Yankees have made clear they're not sitting this one out.

With the deadline landing Monday, Baltimore's front office has a real decision to make: cash in on a former star while his name still carries weight around the league, or bet that a healthy stretch run rebuilds his value. Either way, the next few days are going to move fast, and a lot of teams besides the Yankees have already made their interest in Rutschman known.