Pirates' rumored link to Orioles star Adley Rutschman comes with one clear risk

There are some who would like to see the Pittsburgh Pirates make a big swing at the trade deadline, and the candidates are numerous. Jeff Passan believes they could be players for guys like Luis Arraez and Willson Contreras, despite neither filling a position of need. Others would like to take a more interesting approach and make a play for Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman.

Some have speculated that Rutschman could be a fit for the Pirates since the end of last season, with many wanting the Pirates to swing a trade for him last offseason. That obviously didn't happen, and the developments behind the plate this season have been interesting to say the least.

Endy Rodriguez, now finally healthy, has emerged with the bat, hitting .250/.386/.431 through his first 89 plate appearances. Rodriguez has always been a highly-regarded talent, but for a variety of reasons hasn't been able to put it all together. The surprise trade of Joey Bart has given him some runway to prove himself, but we'll need more than 89 plate appearances to truly believe.

Rutschman would likely be an upgrade as a hitter, though to what extent is unknown. The real benefit would be his exceptional defense behind the plate, and for Pittsburgh, upgrading the defense anywhere is one of the biggest trade deadline needs.

However, as good as Rutschman may seem, the guys on Bucco Territory point out that there's some real risk in ponying up to acquire him.

Josh Harrison hints at the problem, but Noah Hiles drives it home, saying, "Well, if we knew there was going to be baseball next year, this is a no-brainer, and I'd be willing to give up a little something for him. Probably something within my top 10, honestly, because if he plays well and likes it here, maybe just keep him. But if you give up a good prospect to get him, which is going to be required, and there's no baseball next year, you just kinda lose it."

Hiles is referring to the possibility of a lockout due to the expiring Collective Bargaining Agreement, and the possibility that there either won't be a 2027 season or will be a drastically shortened one, which would then turn Rutschman into something of a two-month rental with a sky-high price tag.

The Pirates need to operate very carefully at this year's trade deadline

That's a real concern, but there's an even bigger issue at play. Should the Pirates give up top prospects to fill any needs at the deadline? There's an argument to be made that they shouldn't.

There's still a financial ceiling in Pittsburgh, and while it's higher than it has ever been, it still exists. That means that the Pirates have to be careful how much salary they take on in deadline deals, but also that they're going to eventually need the influx of cheap talent some of their top prospects can provide.

Then there's the question of whether or not they can truly compete down the stretch. It's shaping up to be a sellers' market with more teams in the mix than out of it as we near the end of June, and Pittsburgh has several needs that must be addressed if the plan is to go full-throttle towards contending. That might get too expensive.

Perhaps a better strategy might be buying on the margins and hoping for injury returns and some luck to carry them through so that they don't mortgage their future. In that case, assets need to be reserved for only the most dire needs, such as the bullpen.

Depending on how serious Ben Cherington is at pushing his chips to the middle of the table for 2026, there's a clear order of needs the Pirates must consider. After the bullpen, it's adding another starter, and then trying to find another defensive upgrade in the field, and all of those come before doing something at catcher.

The Pirates are in an interesting spot, and while Rutschman would be an intriguing bet-the-farm type of move, it isn't a prudent one in light of where Pittsburgh stands in the chase and where MLB and the Players' Association stand in their negotiations.

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