Orioles rookie's arrival just turned the heat up on Adley Rutschman trade speculation

The Baltimore Orioles smoked the Houston Astros, 12-0, on Sunday night. It was the rare bright spot in an otherwise dour campaign for this O's team. Viewed as a potential World Series threat not that long ago, Baltimore has fallen to the bottom of the AL East this season. Changes are on the horizon as a result, and very few players are safe.

One of the Orioles feeling the most heat right now? All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman.

Baltimore recently called up its No. 1 prospect, and the No. 8 prospect in MLB, Samuel Basallo. He made his debut in Sunday's win, finishing with a 1-for-4 line and two RBI. That's hard to complain about from a 21-year-old's first big-league game, but Basallo almost went nuclear, as he was robbed of a three-run homer. (Houston's Jesus Sánchez hilariously robbed a grand slam and a three-run bomb in a 12-0 loss.)

Basallo debuted as the DH, but he's a catcher by trade and the O's want to see him behind home plate, per manager Tony Mansolino.

Basallo needs to prove himself when it comes to calling pitches and executing the game plan, but he's a significant asset and Baltimore surely does not want to pigeonhole him as the DH for the next decade. (He does notably have first base experience, too.) If Basallo keeps hitting and he performs well behind the plate, then... what happens to Rutschman?

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Adley Rutschman feeling the heat from top Orioles prospect Samuel Basallo

Rutschman, 27, finished 12th in AL MVP voting as a rookie and earned back-to-back All-Star nods in years two and three. Year four has been... less impressive. He's still a positive-impact player, in no small part due to his brilliance behind home plate. But the bat has vanished, with Rutschman posting a .684 OPS and a below-average 93 wRC+ in 308 at-bats this season.

This creates a crossroads, both for Rutschman and the O's. Should Baltimore hold out hope for a resurgence, or sell (relatively) high? Plenty of teams will gladly sacrifice top assets for a catcher with Rutschman's defensive acumen and offensive pedigree, even after a down year. Those All-Star campaigns are still fresh on the mind. If Baltimore keeps Rutschman and he continues to regress offensively, however, his price tag will drop. He may also stand in Basallo's way.

Young Basallo packs incredible power from the left side. He was one of the most explosive hitters in the Minors this season, which figures to translate sooner than later at the MLB level. His first hit was almost a three-run homer, lest we forget. This O's lineup desperately needs a shot in the arm and the way to maximize Basallo's value, in a vacuum, would be for him to mash in the middle of the lineup while squatting behind home plate on defense.

O's might need to sacrifice Adley Rutschman to maximize Samuel Basallo

MLB is a cutthroat business. A couple years ago, Rutschman was the young face of the franchise, viewed as a cornerstone piece and a potential superstar. Now he's almost expendable. That's not to say he's not "good enough" — again, a ton of teams would and should target him — but for the O's, a better option exists. Probably.

Basallo needs to earn his keep defensively. If he struggles as a backstop, the O's might end up shuffling him to first base and calling it a day. But quality catchers are harder to come by and Basallo will maintain a higher valuation if he's behind the plate. If he's the superstar-caliber talent Baltimore fans hope he is, the O's should probably clear the deck for him eventually. Rutschman can fetch plenty of assets in a trade, perhaps resetting the Orioles farm system as this next wave of young stars graduate.

The clock is ticking on Rutschman, especially if he finishes the season on a quiet note.