The Baltimore Orioles’ season has clearly not gone according to plan. Entering Tuesday, the club sat at 34-39, fourth place in the American League East. However, not everything has gone wrong. Catcher Adley Rutschman has fully returned to his peak form.. Not only has he continued to play elite defense behind the plate, but his bat has returned as well.. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. Across 51 games, the 28-year-old has posted a .265 batting average, .343 on-base percentage, .824 OPS, eight home runs and 40 RBIs. He and Samuel Basallo have formed the most dangerous catching tandem in MLB.. Unfortunately, that has not translated into team success, which leads to the question: will the Orioles consider trading Rutschman? There are reasons on both sides.. First, there is still time to turn it around this year, and the group is talented enough to do so, especially with Rutschman in the mix. The team has dealt with plenty of injuries, but if they get healthy, the wide open AL wild card race keeps them in contention.. Rutschman is also a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger who was the face of the rebuild and has spent his entire five-year career with the organization. As the former first overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, trading him is not a decision made lightly.. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. “He’s a good player who is incredibly valuable to this team. No expiring contract trade brings back the value he has to the team… [He’s not traded] in any reasonable world where the Orioles are trying to win,” said Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Banner.. However, there are some reasons to consider moving on. Rutschman is a free agent after the 2027 season, and his value has never been higher. The Orioles would likely get a haul of young talent with more team control and cost efficiency in return.. With Baltimore already having extended Basallo on a massive eight-year deal, committing to Rutschman long-term as well raises real financial questions. Having two elite catchers could also be considered overkill, and the Orioles front office has historically operated with a lower payroll than most contenders.. As of right now, most reports indicate the Orioles will not trade Rutschman if they are still trying to win. However, the next month will dictate whether winning is still the goal for this year. If Baltimore falls well out of the playoff picture, moving on from Rutschman could start to make a lot of sense.