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.
In Other News...
Adley Rutschman Trade Hit Orioles Fans Even Harder Than Expected
The Orioles decision to trade Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox landed with all the force you would expect from moving a franchise centerpiece, but the personal detail makes it sting a little more. Rutschman was Baltimores No. 1 overall pick in 2019 and became one of the defining players of the clubs rise, appearing in 572 games and collecting three All-Star nods along with a Silver Slugger award in 2023.
What makes the moment stand out even more is how ordinary it began, with Rutschman spending time away from the ballpark alongside former Orioles teammates Colston Cowser, Ryan Mountcastle and Gunnar Henderson. For a player who had spent years as one of the faces of the organization, the timing underscored just how abruptly the next chapter began, and why this move resonated so deeply with Baltimore fans. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Catcher Shakeup Could Force A Bigger Samuel Basallo Role
The Orioles are among the clubs still sorting out the ripple effects from the trade deadline, and one of the bigger questions in Baltimore is how the catcher situation will look going forward. After adding pieces and shifting roles around the roster, the team now has to balance its lineup and defensive alignment while keeping the rest of the club steady during the transition.
Samuel Basallo is one of the names that comes into sharper focus in that mix, especially with the Orioles needing to cover more ground behind the plate than they did before the deadline. Even as the roster settles in around the new additions, Baltimores next move at catcher will be worth watching because it could determine how quickly Basallos role expands and how central he becomes to the teams plans. [Read more 🡒]