Pete Alonso didn’t sugarcoat the mood inside the Orioles clubhouse after Baltimore shipped Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox.
Speaking to the media the day after the trade, Alonso said general manager and president Mike Elias addressed the team after the moves involving Rutschman, Taylor Ward and Tyler Wells went down before Monday’s MLB trade deadline. Alonso said he appreciated Elias being direct with the group.
“For me, it's appreciated. I can't speak for all 26 guys. … I think for us, it's like, you have to trust Mike because he's the overseer, so to speak, of…"
Alonso also made clear that the burden isn’t falling on Elias alone. In his view, the Orioles haven’t done enough collectively to make the front office’s job easier.
That’s the reality Baltimore is living in right now. The Orioles are 54-58, sitting fourth in the AL East and 2.5 games back in the wildcard race. That race is crowded, with Minnesota, Texas, Seattle, Baltimore and Detroit all packed together at 2.5 games out.
For the Orioles, the cleanest way to dull the sting of the deadline is simple: win. They dropped a number of painfully close games in the first half, and now the pressure is squarely on the group that remains to steady things.
The emotional hit is obvious, especially for players who were close with Rutschman. He was reportedly on his way to the movie theater with Colton Cowser, Gunnar Henderson and Ryan Mountcastle to see the new Spiderman movie when he got the news. He was popular in the clubhouse, but as the saying goes, baseball is a business.
There was also reporting that Baltimore offered Rutschman two deals between November and May, though both were rejected.
The Orioles are back at Camden Yards on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels, and all eyes will be on how the crowd reacts to the revamped roster. Baltimore will also be facing Grayson Rodriguez, with the former Orioles pitcher set to start for the Angels.
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