The Baltimore Orioles have already made one move that says a lot about where this franchise is headed, and it may not be the last.
After dealing Adley Rutschman at the MLB trade deadline, Baltimore didn’t just pick up a nice return - it sent a loud message that this roster is changing. And because Rutschman landed with the division-rival Boston Red Sox, the shift feels even bigger than a standard deadline sell-off.
That’s why Jackson Holliday is suddenly back in the conversation.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter thinks the young infielder could still be traded, even after the deadline buzz around him never really got off the ground. In Reuter’s view, the Rutschman blockbuster opened the door to more change in Baltimore.
"Jackson Holliday was an unexpected addition to the pre-deadline rumor mill, but after the Orioles sent Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox in a surprise blockbuster, it's clear change is coming in Baltimore," Reuter writes.
On paper, Holliday is the kind of player teams usually hold onto. He’s only 22, and the Orioles control him through the 2030 MLB season. That alone makes a trade feel hard to justify unless Baltimore truly believes the return could reshape the organization.
And that’s the real hook here: the return could be massive.
Holliday’s age, upside, and growing production would make him one of the most attractive names available if the Orioles decide to listen. A trade would hurt, but if Baltimore is looking at this moment as the start of something new, moving him could bring back a haul with franchise-changing potential.
His season gives clubs a reason to dream on him, too. Holliday has a .749 OPS and a 113 OPS+ this year, the best offensive showing of his career so far. It’s come in just 187 at-bats, but it’s the kind of step forward Baltimore has been waiting to see.
The deadline rumors around Holliday didn’t lead anywhere then, but the offseason could be different. With teams more willing to make bold moves and more interested in young, inexpensive talent, he could become one of the more intriguing names on the market.
Reuter isn’t saying a Holliday deal is likely. But he does see it as something worth watching, especially as the 2026 season winds down and the Orioles head toward another offseason that could look very different from the last.
In Other News...
Orioles Just Learned The Full Price Of Bostons Adley Blockbuster
Adley Rutschmans first game in a Red Sox uniform gave Boston an immediate look at why the club was willing to make a serious move for him. He went 1-for-3 with two walks and handled catcher duties cleanly, a tidy debut that fit the idea of a roster upgrade designed to matter right away. The swap also finally got buttoned up behind the scenes, with the player to be named later piece of the deal now settled.
For Baltimore, the real sting is in what eventually crossed over to complete the trade. Boston sent over minor league outfielder Harold Rivas, an 18-year-old with enough status in the organization to make him more than just a throw-in. It is the kind of final accounting that can quietly shape how a blockbuster is remembered, especially when the first big league glimpse from the new catcher already looked so settled. [Read more 🡒]
Vaughn Grissom Just Made His Red Sox Exit More Personal
Vaughn Grissoms departure from Boston already looked like one of those moves that quietly lingered in the background, and now it feels a lot more personal. The infielder said the Red Sox front office never gave him a fair chance to play, arguing they leaned too heavily on analytics instead of what he was doing on the field. Since moving on, Grissom has settled in as a more regular starter with the Los Angeles Angels, where consistent playing time has given him a steadier role.
Grissom also believes he has gotten better simply by being on the field every day, and his season line reflects a player who has found some rhythm. He is hitting .254/.315/.392 with seven home runs and a 0.5 bWAR in 78 games, numbers that do not turn the story into a full redemption arc but do make the contrast with his Boston tenure harder to ignore. For the Red Sox, it is another reminder that player evaluation does not end when someone leaves town. [Read more 🡒]
Adley Rutschman Already Changed A Big Red Sox Question
Adley Rutschman wasted little time making his presence felt in Boston, stepping straight into the middle of the lineup and behind the plate after being acquired in a trade and activated from the injured list. In a 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays, he started at catcher and batted third, and even after more than three weeks away with wrist inflammation, there was little sign of rust as he settled into his new surroundings.
For the Red Sox, the early takeaway was bigger than one game in the standings. Rutschmans arrival immediately changes the look of a catching situation that was already under scrutiny, and the club plans to handle his workload carefully as he gets up to speed with a new pitching staff and a new dugout. The next question is less about whether he fits and more about how Boston chooses to use him in the first stretch of this new chapter. [Read more 🡒]