RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 2 sourcesJul 12, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) waives to the fans before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Mike Elias was hired in November of 2018 to rejuvenate an Orioles franchise that had become the laughing stock of Major League Baseball. After nearly eight years mostly spent pretending that the Orioles were on the cusp of real success, Elias just proved how truly large his failure has been by trading Adley Rutschman to the division rival Boston Red Sox.
Adley was the first big decision Elias made after taking over in Baltimore. The new GM selected the switch-hitting catcher with seemingly limitless potential as the No.1 pick in the 2019 MLB Draft and the two became forever tied together. Or at least tied together for seven years.
Between when Adley was drafted on June 3rd, 2019 and when he debuted on May 21st, 2022, the Orioles were 129-236. Birdland suffered through watching some of the most unwatchable baseball teams in recent memory with the hope that Adley’s arrival would finally change things.
And, at least for a moment, it did change things. All of Birdland shared in at least a fraction of the awe and wonder on Adley’s face when he took the field at Camden Yards for the first time. And for the next two years, Adley seemingly willed the O’s to become winners. From May 21st, 2022, to May 21st, 2024, the Orioles were 197-133, playing at a 97-win pace over 162 games. The O’s won the 2023 AL East Pennant and were the No.1 seed in that year’s playoffs. The pitchers seemed more at ease and effective throwing to Adley. The lineup seemed to fall into place around him. Things, for the first time in almost a decade, were good.
And yes, getting swept out of the playoffs by the Rangers in 2023 was a painful end to the first 100-win season in 40+ years. And yes, the Orioles collapsing down the stretch in 2024—while Adley clearly struggled physically—was another bitter pill to swallow. But those were supposed to be the growing pains that’d lead to greater levels of success in the Adley Rutschman Era. Instead, they somehow became both the highlights and lowlights of an era cut short by a front office that couldn’t stick to a direction.
Since May 21st, 2024, the Orioles are a meager 191-199—a 79-win team over a full season. Admittedly, it’s hard to divorce Adley’s poor injury record of late from the Orioles’ decline in fortunes. Though he never landed on the IL in ‘24, his triple slash of .189/.279/.280 (and noticeable change in his hitting mechanics) over the second half of that season spoke to a player who was far from healthy.
The former face of the franchise was then limited to 90 games last year due to a pair of oblique strains. Adley followed that up by landing on the IL three times this year, first with an ankle sprain, then a concussion and most recently a left wrist injury. Playing in only 157 of a possible 274 games over the last two seasons certainly was a worrying trend. But it’s also far from a reason to give up on the only multi-time All-Star of Elias’ tenure.
Many pointed to the arrival of Samuel Basallo last fall—and his subsequent eight-year contract extension—as a sign that Adley’s days in Baltimore were numbered. Trade rumors began circulating last offseason but then seemed to quiet down after Adley’s impressive start to this campaign.
And while many chose to look at Basallo as Adley’s successor, I tried to see him as the ultimate insurance policy. If you have a catcher in Adley who is great offensively and defensively, but is struggling to stay healthy, having a capable backup is the perfect remedy. Given Basallo’s development defensively this year (to the point he’s become Trevor Rogers’ personal catcher), it was easy to imagine a world where Adley was limited to 90-100 games behind the plate in order to keep him healthy over a full season. The two could not only exist together, but thrive as the best backstop tandem in baseball.
Instead, Basallo will be offered as the Band-Aid to cover the bullet hole that Elias has left in the hearts of Birdland. The GM described the decision to trade Rutschman as one that “ requires short-term heartache ,” but one that makes the “organization… better off for it.”
Part of the insinuation there is that sacrificing Adley to add talent in other areas will become easier to stomach because of Basallo. That suggests that this level of heartache was necessary, an eventuality almost, if the Orioles are going to reach their ultimate goals. In reality, this heartache is only necessary because past shortcomings by the front office put the Orioles and Birdland in this position.
There will be a lot of talk in the coming days about how good the return for Adley is. And let me be clear: it is a truly impressive package of prospects. Headliner RHP Anthony Eyanson instantly becomes the Orioles’ best prospect . RHP Kyson Witherspoon was the 15th pick in last year’s draft and has the stuff to also become another elite starter. And OF Enddy Azocar has the looks of another Colton Cowser, Dylan Beavers type of outfield prospect.
There are also reports from Ryan Ripken and others that the Orioles tried to offer Adley an extension, but got nowhere with those talks. Some will try to spin this information as another justification for the trade; that trading Adley now maximized their return on a player who didn’t want to stay in Baltimore long term anyway. I’d argue that his unwillingness to commit his future to the Orioles was largely driven by the uncertainty surrounding the franchise—an uncertainty Elias is uniquely responsible for creating.
The fact that Adley was traded to the Red Sox is what elevates this from heartbreaking to unforgivable. Whether we admit it or not, to be an Orioles fan is to have an inferiority complex towards the Yankees and Red Sox. Having to stomach less nationa...
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.