The idea of the Pirates going big at the trade deadline has plenty of supporters, and one of the louder names in that conversation is Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman. He’s the kind of target that can make a fan base dream a little: switch-hitting, strong behind the plate, and a .787 OPS that makes the bat look plenty appealing.
That said, the fit comes with a catch. Pittsburgh has already been floated as a possible landing spot for players like Luis Arraez and Willson Contreras, though neither would solve a clear position need.
Rutschman, on the other hand, would at least address a more obvious area of concern, especially with the Pirates’ focus on defense. At catcher, Endy Rodriguez has finally gotten healthy and has shown life at the plate, hitting .250/.386/.431 across his first 89 plate appearances.
He’s long been considered a talented player, but the sample is still small, and Joey Bart’s surprising trade has simply opened the door for Rodriguez to get a real chance.
Rutschman would probably be an upgrade offensively, even if it’s hard to pin down exactly how much of one. His biggest value, though, would come from his glove. For a Pittsburgh club that could use help defensively almost anywhere, that matters.
Still, the people at Bucco Territory have pointed out the obvious problem: paying for him might not be wise.
A post from the show summed up the debate this way:
“Would Adley Rutschman be worth trading for?
A switch-hitting catcher with a .787 OPS is hard to pass up says J Hay, even if it would take at least a top 10 prospect
But Noah cautions with a potential lockout next year in Adley's final year of arbitratrion, it could be risky pic.twitter.com/fRhlTKlyVc
- Bucco Territory (@BuccoTerritory) June 24, 2026”
Noah Hiles put the concern plainly: “Well, if we knew there was going to be baseball next year, this is a no-brainer, and I'd be willing to give up a little something for him. Probably something within my top 10, honestly, because if he plays well and likes it here, maybe just keep him. But if you give up a good prospect to get him, which is going to be required, and there's no baseball next year, you just kinda lose it.”
That’s the heart of the issue. Rutschman is in his final year of arbitration, and the threat of a lockout tied to the expiring Collective Bargaining Agreement changes the math. If 2027 is shortened or doesn’t happen at all, a trade for him starts to look like an expensive two-month rental.
And that’s before even getting to Pittsburgh’s broader deadline picture.
The Pirates have to be careful with how they spend prospect capital. There’s still a payroll ceiling in place, even if it’s not as tight as it once was, and the club will eventually need the cheap production that top prospects can provide. On top of that, there’s no guarantee this is a team that can truly go all-in right now.
The market is also working against them. With more teams still in the hunt than out of it as June winds down, this looks like a seller-friendly deadline, which only pushes prices higher. Pittsburgh has several holes to patch if it wants to make a real run, and that can get expensive fast.
A more cautious path would be to shop on the margins, wait for injured players to return, and hope a little luck fills in the gaps. If that’s the approach, then the Pirates may want to save their best assets for only the most urgent need - the bullpen.
From there, the priorities would come in order: another starter, then a defensive upgrade somewhere in the field, and only after that should catcher enter the conversation.
So yes, Rutschman is the kind of name that can grab attention. But for Pittsburgh, the risk attached to that kind of swing may make it the wrong one.
In Other News...
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Cheringtons comments, though, also made clear that any larger fix is not going to arrive right away. He said bullpen trades are likely, but they may not come until after the July draft, pushing the meaningful reshaping of the relief mix closer to the trade deadline than to the present moment. For a fan base already anxious about how much damage the bullpen has done, that timetable is probably the least reassuring part of all. [Read more 🡒]
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The rest of the picture was less encouraging. Wilber Dotel began a rehab assignment, but his recovery has already required a reassessment after he felt some discomfort, while Spencer Horwitz is facing a longer absence after suffering a left hamstring injury in late June. Horwitz had become a useful middle-order presence before getting hurt, and the Pirates now have to keep piecing together the infield and lineup while waiting for the injury count to settle down. [Read more 🡒]