Pittsburgh Pirates must call Orioles if this daring trade is on the table

Catching has been a problem for the Pittsburgh Pirates this year. Joey Bart’s power has completely left the building, and his defense definitely does not make up for it. 2025 was another lost season for Endy Rodriguez, as he suffered more elbow problems. Rafael Flores is another option, and while he may have a high ceiling with the bat, he has just as low of a floor as Bart when it comes to defense. While the pitchers love tossing to Henry Davis, and his defense behind the dish has been exceptional, he is still putting up a wRC+ below 50. 50.

Thankfully, the Pirates could have a great opportunity this offseason to add another catcher to the mix, as the Baltimore Orioles could shop Adley Rutschman this offseason after putting their faith in Samuel Basallo with a long-term extension. If they opt to trade Rutschman rather than shuffle positions around/commit to both players, the Pirates need to go all in on a trade.

Moving Rutschman in a trade seemed like an impossibility until very recently. Rutschman was the second overall pick in the 2019 draft, and he definitely was living up to his hype in his first two seasons. Between 2022 and 2023, Rutschman slashed .268/.369/.439 with a .353 wOBA and 129 wRC+. The switch-hitter provided both power and plate discipline. He went yard 33 times in 1157 trips to the plate with a .171 isolated slugging percentage. Rutschman did not strike out very much, with just a 16.2% K%, and paired that with a quality 13.9% walk rate.

Rutschman paired quality hitting with elite defense behind the dish. He had +20 defensive runs saved while collecting +16.2 framing runs. Rutschman was also an outstanding blocker, allowing just two passed balls in nearly 1700 innings with +25 blocking runs. Overall, his +11.1 fWAR was the most by any catcher between these two years. With his arrival came winning ways for Baltimore, in what seemed like almost a one-to-one correlation.

2024 looked like another strong season from Rutschman. Heading into July, he was hitting .294/.350/.471. He had 15 home runs through his first 357 plate appearances, with a .176 ISO. Rutschman’s 8.1% walk rate and 18.2% strikeout rate were both steps back from his 2022-2023 marks, but his overall .353 wOBA and 134 wRC+ showed he was still producing at a similar level as 2022-2023.

However, the second half of 2024 is where the problems began to arise for Rutschman. He only hit .194/.278/.286 with a .252 wOBA and 63 wRC+ from the start of July through the end of the season. Rutschman only hit four more home runs over his last 281 plate appearances, and put up an ISO under .100. He walked more frequently than he did in the first half of the year, with a 10.3% BB%, and struck out less often, with a 13.5% K%. However, those trends represented the only silver lining from his second half.

Adley Rutschman's 2024 struggles have carried over to 2025 - and made him a possible Pirates trade addition

2025 has been Rutschman’s worst season by far. He has only appeared in 85 contests with 348 plate appearances. He first landed on the IL in June due to an oblique strain, then again in the middle of August with another oblique strain. When he did the field, the results weren’t pretty. He has just a .227/.310/.373 triple-slash and 94 wRC+. He is still striking out at a low 15.8% rate, but has seen his walk rate dip to 10.6% and his ISO fall to .146.

His defense the last two seasons has also taken a hit. His +14 defensive runs saved and +1.9 framing runs in 1420.2 innings still make him a solid defensive backstop. His blocking behind the dish is another part of his game that has remained good. This season, he has +2 blocking runs. 

So what reasons would there be to go after a catcher who’s only gotten progressively worse the last two seasons? Despite his poor numbers this year, his stats under the hood show some promise. Rutschman’s raw power hasn’t gone anywhere. His 89.8 MPH exit velocity is a career-high mark, and his 7.8% barrel rate is the highest he has put up since his 2022 rookie campaign.

Rutschman’s plate discipline is also still very good. His 14.5% whiff rate is a career-low rate, and in the top 93rd percentile of all hitters. He also boasts a 21.8% chase rate, which is another career-best mark, and among the best in the league, clocking in at the 88th percentile. His xwOBA is far above his actual wOBA, coming in at .338, which is in the 58th percentile of qualified hitters. The 38-point gap is also the 28th largest among batters with at least 300 plate appearances this year.

If the O’s end up shopping Rutschman after extending their newer model in Basallo, he is going to be the best option for catcher on the trade market this winter. The Pirates have enough pitching to get whoever they want, and not going after Rutschman would be a massive missed opportunity for the Bucs. They need a catcher who can provide some offensive value, and Rutschman can bring that to the table for at least the next two seasons. The Orioles, who didn't extend the same extension-related grace to Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson as their prices rose, might be stuck between a rock and a hard place this offseason. If so, the Pirates need to come calling and tempt them. We've always noted that these two teams match up nicely in trade talks. Now's the time to answer the call.