The Baltimore Orioles made a shocking move at this year's trade deadline, dealing longtime face of the franchise and switch-hitting catcher Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox.
While the move was heartbreaking for fans, it made sense for one clear reason. The Orioles have their catcher of the future locked up in Samuel Basallo.
Basallo inked a long-term extension last year that runs through the 2033 season, and the organization extended him after just four big-league games. That belief in him looks like one of the best decisions president of baseball operations Mike Elias has ever made.
This year, Basallo has broken out, posting a .241 batting average, .305 on-base percentage, .756 OPS, 16 home runs and 46 RBIs across 86 games.
Unfortunately, Basallo is currently on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation and has missed 16 consecutive games.

#basallo #made #games #runs

Adley Rutschman trade grades: Red Sox land star catcher, Orioles restock farm system with massive return originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox made a big splash ahead of the trade deadline, securing catcher Adley Rutschman from the division-rival Baltimore Orioles.
Rutschman is currently on the injured list, but when healthy, he is a switch-hitting catcher who was talented enough to go first overall in the 2019 MLB Draft. Catcher was one of the Red Sox's weakest positions, so this deal fills a pretty large hole.
The Orioles will now hand the catching reins over full time to Samuel Basallo, whom the team has already signed to a long-term extension. This does, however, signal the end of an era in Baltimore, as Rutschman was expected to be a big piece of the Orioles' future but instead played in just five total playoff games.
Here's a look at how each team did in the deal.

#orioles #adley #baltimore #preferred

The Boston Red Sox are reportedly acquiring catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles in a rare intra-divisional trade, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Rutschman was part of Baltimore's youth movement two years ago, but has come back down to earth after a hot start to his career. With the Orioles looking to be deadline sellers, his name consistently was brought up since Baltimore had a surplus at catcher between Rutschman and Samuel Basallo.
Baltimore drafted Rutschman with the first overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. He made his debut in the majors in 2022. That year, he played in 113 games and hit .254 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI.
The catcher's best season so far was in 2023. He was an All-Star and won the Silver Slugger Award that year after slashing .277/.374/.435 with 20 home runs, 80 RBI and a 4.3 WAR.
Rustchman has played in 67 games this year for the Orioles. His numbers across the board are down, with just eight home runs and 47 RBI so far.

#orioles #down #played

3 reasons why Orioles might trade Adley Rutschman by 2026 MLB deadline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Baltimore Orioles are in an interesting spot as a franchise, because on one hand, they're still in the postseason hunt, while on the other reveals a chance to be major sellers and land a haul to shake up their current core.
There's been plenty of attention on Taylor Ward in the outfield as a trade target, but catcher Adley Rutschman, even on the injured list, is receiving significant interest. But, will the Orioles trade their fan favorite All-Star catcher?
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel, there are three good reasons why a trade of Rutschman has a real chance of happening this season.
"Rutschman's renaissance this season has come at a great time for Baltimore: He's a free agent after next season, Baltimore has Samuel Basallo locked up long term, and there's almost no chance of the sides coming together on a long-term deal," Passan and McDaniel write.

#chance #adley

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles acquired catcher Jake Rogers from the Detroit Tigers on Thursday for minor league right-hander Zane Barnhart.
The Tigers designated Rogers for ******* ignment earlier in the week, and it wasn't a huge surprise Baltimore was interested. The Orioles' top two catchers — Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo — are on the injured list. They used Sam Huff and Chadwick Tromp as replacements, getting almost no offense from either, before designating Huff for ******* ignment and bringing up Yohel Pozo from Double-A.
Rogers is batting .161 with three home runs and nine RBIs this season. His career average is .197.
Since July 19, Huff, Tromp and Pozo have gone 2 for 35 at the plate for the Orioles.
Barnhart has gone 2-3 with a 4.05 ERA in 31 relief appearances this year for Double-A Chesapeake.

#baltimore #barnhart #double

The Orioles only got to send one representative to the All-Star game this season, but Adley Rutschman earned the opportunity. Rutschman made his third All Star appearance after slashing .253/.327/.436 in the first half.
Rutschman’s strong start to the season represented a bounceback for the former first overall pick. The Oregon State product posted a below-average 89 OPS+ while missing time with oblique issues in 2025. Baltimore made waves by inking catcher Samuel Basallo to an eight-year extension and signing free agent Pete Alonso to a five-year deal, but it was Rutschman representing the Orioles in Philadelphia tonight.
Basallo and Alonso have played well for Baltimore. Alonso felt like a legitimate snub after slashing .252/.346/.474 with 21 homers in the first half, but Rutschman deserves credit for finding his way back into the spotlight.
That spotlight came with questions about trade rumors and potential contract extensions. Rutschman handled himself well this week without expressing anything really worthy of discussion. The backstop said he’s had a “phenomenal experience so far with Baltimore,” and reiterated that he doesn’t spend any time thinking about trade rumors or his contract. Rutschman is under team control in Baltimore through next season.
Rutschman was named an All-Star reserve behind AL starter Shea Langeliers and fellow reserve Dillon Dingler. Langeliers entered the break slashing .257/.324/.483 with 21 homers, and Dingler received the nod after slashing .262/.323/.508 with 19 long **** . Langeliers walked and scored a run in the first inning and singled in the third. Dingler struck out in his only at bat.

Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Even in a season that isn't going according to plan, an immutable fact remains: life seems a little bit better after an Orioles win. That's especially true when the O's make it a dramatic win, like last night's 5-3 takedown of the visiting Royals at Camden Yards. After Brandon Young's bid to pitch into the eighth inning went haywire in heartbreaking fashion, Samuel Basallo stepped up to reinvigorate the team and the sizable crowd of O's fans with his electric go-ahead homer — and epic bat toss — in the Birds' last at-bat. Check out Stacey's recap of a delightful night at Oriole Park.
The game was a fun reminder of what the Orioles can look like when they're playing well, something that unfortunately has happened far too little this season. A win against a last-place Royals team doesn't fix the many problems that still plague the Birds. But with two games remaining against lowly Kansas City, the Orioles have a chance to head into the All-Star break feeling better about themselves if they can put together a couple more performances as competent as last night's.
While the players (hopefully) keep their attention on the field, the O's front office decision-makers have other things on their mind this weekend. The 2026 MLB Draft begins today at 1 pm, and the Orioles hold the #7 pick. As Mark Brown wrote, there's no consensus among draft pundits about which player the O's will take; five different writers have suggested four different possibilities for the Orioles in their mock drafts. And of course the Birds' actual selection could end up being someone not even mentioned. They do that sometimes.
The Orioles' #7 pick is their highest since 2022, when they held the #1 overall selection and drafted Jackson Holliday. Since then, their highest first-round picks have been #17 in 2023 (which they used on Enrique Bradfield Jr.), #22 in 2024 (Vance Honeycutt), and #19 in 2025 (Ike Irish).

BALTIMORE — Samuel Basallo stood and watched. Seconds later, he smiled wide, threw his bat and yelled emphatically toward a sea of orange fans behind the Orioles' dugout.
The designated hitter's eighth-inning home run, which barely looped inside the right-field foul pole, ignited Camden Yards into a frenzy. The 373-foot blast gave Baltimore a two-run lead that held in a 5-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday.
The shot marked Basallo's 15th home run of the season, and third of July. That already matches how many the 21-year-old hit in June. It came after Orioles (44-51) starter Brandon Young surrendered a game-tying home run in the top half of the frame to Royals left fielder Isaac Collins.
Closer Andrew Kittredge secured a three-out save for the second straight game to seal the victory, for his third save of the season.
Baltimore led virtually the entire game. Its middle infielders led a second-inning surge.

Sometimes, one small play in a game ends up ruining it. When Adley Rutschman didn't challenge a pitch in the eighth inning that was called a ball, I thought that was the small ruining play. The batter went on to homer. The game was tied, and I **** umed the Orioles would soon fall behind. But that didn't happen! Instead, the stage was set for Samuel Basallo to come along and serve up some heroics. He did just that, with a home run to put the Orioles ahead and give them a 5-3 lead to start their series with the Kansas City Royals.
The Orioles started scoring early but were held to just three runs for most of the game. They got the scoring started in the second inning with a singles party. Dylan Beavers, Blaze Alexander, Jackson Holliday, and Gunnar Henderson all singled. Beavers and Alexander came in to score on hits from Holliday and Henderson. It was a nice start against Royals' starter Luinder Avila, who allowed his share of baserunners in his five innings pitched.
Taylor Ward led off the third inning with a single, but was thrown out trying to steal second base with Pete Alonso at the plate. Ward got a good job and could have beaten the throw, but appeared to try the swim move to avoid the tag. Instead, he avoided the bag just long enough to get tagged out. Not great, Taylor! Alonso walked not long after, which made it seem even dumber. They did not score.
The Orioles had just one baserunner in the fourth inning, but it was a Blaze Alexander bomb to put the team up 3-0. It was already Alexander's second hit of the game and he played good defense as well.
Unfortunately, the Orioles did not score again off Avila. They had two more baserunners in the fifth but couldn't capitalize, and Avila left the game after five innings. The Royals' bullpen held strong until they didn't, but more on that later.

The Royals fell 5-3 after another very Luinder Avila start and one too many trips to the bullpen. Matt Strahm gave up the final blow, a two-run home run to Samuel Basallo. Before that, it was a pretty close game.
As noted above, Luinder Avila got the start in this one for KC. He pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 runs with 3 strikeouts and 3 walks. It was a real grind for Avila as it seemed like he was always pitching with a full count even with only the 3 walks. That meant it took him 96 pitches to get through those 5 innings.
Avila gave up two of the runs with two outs in the second inning. The Royals managed to tie it in the fourth thanks to a Michael Massey walk (he's been doing that a lot lately) and a Josh Rojas double. But before that, Jac Caglianone smoked his first home run since that two-home run game in Tampa Bay almost two weeks ago.
Avila got Blaze Alexander down 0-2 with one out in the bottom of the inning, which caused the booth to praise him for his good work following the offense tying the game. He promptly hung a slider that went a long way. The score remained 3-2 until the eighth inning, with Steven Cruz pitching a clean sixth with a strikeout. Daniel Lynch IV did the same in the seventh.
In the top of the eighth, Isaac Collins led off the inning with a home run to dead center. Which I wasn't entirely sure he could do.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Samuel Basallo hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-3 in the opener of a three-game series between last-place teams Friday night.
Blaze Alexander also homered for Baltimore.
Jac Caglianone and Isaac Collins hit solo shots for Kansas City, which has lost three in a row and 11 of 15.
Matt Strahm (3-2) entered with the game tied at 3-all and yielded a leadoff single to Pete Alonso. Basallo then hooked a 1-2 slider just inside the foul pole in right for his 15th homer of the season and chucked his bat with both hands toward the Orioles dugout in celebration.
Baltimore led 3-2 entering the eighth, and manager Craig Albernaz allowed starter Brandon Young to stay in with only 77 pitches. But Collins capped an eight-pitch at-bat with a shot to center to chase the right-hander.

It is Friday night.
The Orioles have beaten the Royals, 5-3. Brandon Young turned in an excellent seven-plus inning start, and after he left with the game tied, Samuel Basallo delivered an absolutely joyous and righteous go-ahead home run to put the Orioles on top. Bring this energy into all of your most important tasks:
YOU KNOW WHAT MUST BE DONE.

Will Orioles trade Ryan Mountcastle on the cheap? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Even when he eventually returns from the 60-day Injured List, where will Ryan Mountcastle play in the Baltimore Orioles' lineup?
Not left field. The 2019 first overall draft pick hasn't played in the outfield for the past six seasons and Pete Alonso controls first base. That leaves designated hitter, but rookie Samuel Basallo continues emerging as an everyday option.
With the Orioles slumping for a second straight season, they could be one of the few sellers before the MLB trade deadline. Adley Rutschman, who endured two short IL stints this season, likely remains viewed as the franchise's biggest trade chip.
Mountcastle could be a buy-low acquisition prize by a contender seeking a proven right-handed bat.

Orioles get $167 million Adley Rutschman contract update they might not like originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ever since Samuel Basallo signed an eight-year extension with the Baltimore Orioles, the Adley Rutschman trade rumors have swirled.
There's no guarantee Rutschman will be moved at this year's trade deadline. The former first overall pick is a cornerstone of the AL East franchise.
But there will be a conversation to be had about his future in Baltimore. Rutschman is a free agent after the 2027 season.
"Rutschman, 28, is under control for only one more season after this one. He is the 11th catcher to earn three All-Star selections within his first four seasons," wrote The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. "At this point, he is unlikely to settle for anything but a long-term deal."

Probable pitchers: RHP Kyle Bradish (5-8, 3.77 ERA, 96 Ks) vs. LHP Nick Lodolo (2-2, 5.05 ERA, 42 Ks)
Where to watch: Peacock
The Orioles head into today's finale of their Independence Day weekend series vs. the Reds looking for a couple of things. First, Baltimore is looking to complete only their third series sweep of the season, and their first one since sweeping the Rays at Camden Yards in May. Second, if they can complete the win, it'll give the O's their first four-game winning streak of the season. The often inconsistent Orioles have had six previous attempts at extending their winning streak to four, going 0-6 in those games with a combined -22 run differential.
And yet, since hitting their rock bottom of nine games below .500 after Tuesday's loss to the White Sox, this has looked like a different Orioles team. They avoided a sweep in their series finale against Chicago, winning 6-1 behind a strong outing from Dean Kremer and a ruthlessly efficient offense.
The O's followed that up with a 3-0 win in Cincinnati on Friday, as a rejuvenated Trevor Rogers combined with Rico Garcia, Yennier Cano and Tyler Wells combined for Baltimore's second shutout of the season. Last night the offense stole the headlines, as a three-run homer from Samuel Basallo and multi-hit days from Adley Rutschman and Pete Alonso powered the O's to an 8-5 win.

On America's 250th birthday, the Orioles celebrated in style.
The Birds' bats dazzled with some early fireworks, roughing up Reds fireballer Hunter Greene for eight runs in the first four innings, and the O's held the line from there for an 8-5 victory in Cincinnati. Brandon Young struggled early but hung in to earn his seventh win, freshly minted All-Star Adley Rutschman had a pair of doubles, and new closer Tyler Wells notched his second save in as many nights.
One might have thought the Orioles were unlucky to be the first team this season to face All-Star flamethrower Hunter Greene, who was making his season debut for the Reds after undergoing surgery in March to remove bone chips from his elbow. Greene was the hardest-throwing starting pitcher in baseball in 2025, and if you thought he might need some time to ramp up to full velocity, uh, think again. In the first inning alone, Greene fired 11 pitches clocked at over 100 mph.
But that doesn't mean the Orioles were intimidated. Gunnar Henderson lined Greene's first pitch of the year, a 100.3-mph four-seamer, straight up the middle for a single. With two outs, Pete Alonso worked a walk after a fantastic, nine-pitch at-bat, five of which were triple digit heaters. That brought up Samuel Basallo, who similarly worked the count full.
On 3-2, Greene tried to pump another fastball past Basallo. Mistake. Samuel was more than ready for it, connecting right on the barrel and smashing it deep into the right-center field seats. That, my friends, is an Earl Weaver Special. What a blast from the rookie on 100-mph heat against a tough pitcher. I like Samuel Basallo.

CINCINNATI — Last weekend, Mike Elias said he plans on "going for it" at the MLB trade deadline.
To do that, though, his team would have to play better in the coming weeks to put the Baltimore Orioles' president of baseball operations in a position to be a buyer.
Instead, the Orioles responded with four straight losses after Elias' comments. Baltimore's back-to-back lopsided defeats to the Chicago White Sox sank the ballclub to nine below .500 — the lowest mark of the season. The Orioles have had several low moments this season, but Tuesday's defeat to the White Sox was rock bottom as fans at Camden Yards, normally not ones to loudly express their displeasure, booed the local nine.
So, naturally, they've since played some of their best baseball of the season to win three straight games, continuing the puzzling nature of a team that's been wildly inconsistent all season. Saturday, the Orioles scored early, put up a crooked number, clobbered an ace starting pitcher and had their own pitching staff buckle down en route to an 8-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Samuel Basallo blasted a three-run homer in the first inning for his second homer in as many games after his two-run long ball led the Orioles to a 3-0 win Friday. Three innings later, shortly after the Reds took a one-run lead, Baltimore's bats teamed up to put up five runs against Cincinnati ace Hunter Greene in his season debut after he missed the three months with an elbow injury.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Samuel Basallo hit a three-run homer in the first inning and the Baltimore Orioles roughed up Cincinnati's Hunter Greene in his first start of the season for an 8-5 win over the Reds on Saturday night.
Gunnar Henderson extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single on the first pitch of the game, Pete Alonso walked, and Basallo hit his 14th home run of the season.
The Reds pulled ahead 4-3 with a three-run second inning. Jose Trevino doubled home Spencer Steer, TJ Friedl followed with a triple to tie the game, and Elly De La Cruz put the Reds in the lead with a single against Brandon Young (7-2).
But the Orioles scored five times against Greene in the fourth. Adley Rutschman hit his second double of the game to drive in two runs and scored on Alonso's second hit.
Greene (0-1), returning after surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow in March, lasted 3 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs, which ties a career-high, on seven hits. He walked four and struck out seven.

Brandon Lowe has crushed 20 home runs in 2026.
The MLB best home run bets got out of their rut last night. Samuel Basallo hit a home run at +330 odds, and Ben Rice later hit a homer at +235 odds. So, the season's record for MLB props is 15-50, with three no-bets for players who didn't start on the day their home run bets were suggested.
The record might not seem impressive, but it's outstanding for a long-shot prop like home runs. As a result, the season's profit sits at $1,092 for anyone who bet $100 on each of the home run props at the listed odds.
Losers will be inevitable, and another drought will happen. Still, a pair of left-handed hitters have eye-catching home run props in plus matchups with favorable park factors on Saturday's MLB slate. They have an opportunity to expand the season's profits and provide more room for error and missed picks during the remainder of the season.
Over 0.5 Home Runs (+240) at Hard Rock Bet

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trevor Rogers allowed one hit over a dominating seven scoreless innings and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Saturday night.
Shohei Ohtani hit a home run in the ninth inning for the Dodgers after missing Friday’s game for the birth of his second child.
The only hit Rogers allowed came on a bloop single to center field by the Dodgers’ Tommy Edman in the fifth inning. Rogers (4-7) had six strikeouts, walked two and earned his second win in his past 11 starts.
Blaze Alexander had a two-run double for the Orioles, while Samuel Basallo and Leody Taveras each had two hits. Baltimore improved to 2-3 on a nine-game West Coast road trip.
The Orioles solved Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the second consecutive season after they ended his no-hit bid with two outs in the ninth inning of a September game at Baltimore last year before rallying for the victory.

Sometimes you eat the road, and sometimes the road eats you. I’m not totally sure how relevant that is to today’s Orioles-Red Sox game, but what I mean is, this was a total inversion of Wednesday’s lopsided, 8-1 loss. As the O’s unsuccessful starter that night, Chris Bassitt, said after the game, “When your starter goes three innings and gives up three runs, that’s pretty much a recipe for disaster, so this one’s on me.” Today, however, Orioles starter Trevor Rogers looked just fine, thanks, and it was a recipe for a win.
An easy win, at that. Boston starter Brayan Bello has had a curiously bimodal 2026 season: when he starts games, he has a 9.68 ERA, but he’s under 1.00 when he comes in after an opener. Well, the Sox played with fate, and Bello got rocked in the first inning, to the tune of six runs. It wasn’t much of a nailbiter after that.
It started with the leadoff pitch, which leadoff hitter Taylor Ward did something predictable to—he doubled—and a Bello cutter hit Gunnar Henderson on the foot. Adley Rutschman singled to the gap, and Ward made it 1-0. Then, oh no!, Pete Alonso hit into a double play. I confess I thought the rally was over.
I was very wrong. Samuel Basallo took a very grown-up walk. Leody Taveras singled through the infield and Gunnar scored. 2-0, Birds. Still not done: Colton Cowser walked to load the bases for Coby Mayo. Bello threw him a bunch of sweepers—one too many: Cowser skied a ball three-fourths of the way off The Monster, and all the little Orioles came home.
Baltimore had one more trick up their sleeve, still with two outs: Jackson Holliday walked, and leadoff man Taylor Ward came back to the plate, and singled up the middle, his second hit of the inning. 6-0, Orioles, after one.

Stowers is probably the second-best pure hitter that I've seen in my time in Aberdeen (the good news is that the best, Basallo, is still in the system)