Tigers fans may not like it, but an Adley Rutchsman trade shouldn't be on their radar

Last week, the Orioles extended No. 1 prospect Samuel Basallo on an eight-year, $67 million contract, just days after Baltimore called him up to the majors for his debut (similar to what the Detroit Tigers did with Colt Keith). It was a big move for the struggling O's, but it immediately called into question the future of another homegrown catcher.

Adley Rutschman is a former first overall pick, No. 2 overall prospect, Rookie of the Year finalist, two-time MVP candidate and two-time All-Star, but he's underperformed this season. He's batting .227 with a .684 OPS, nine homers, and just 29 RBI in 85 games. He's still an above-average defensive catcher, but his offensive struggles have certainly contributed to the Orioles' unexpected collapse this season.

Still, being supplanted by a rookie for one bad season can't feel very good for Rutschman — who has never been offered an extension despite all of his accolades — nor can the fact that his offseason departure seems almost guaranteed.

The Orioles probably won't struggle to find takers, even considering Rutschman's struggles this season, and potential candidates and mock trades started to spring up almost as soon as Basallo's extension was announced.

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report named the Tigers as a potential landing spot, but there's a problem: they do have the prospect capital, but they probably won't want to cut into it to buy a catcher when they're clearly very happy with the tandem they already have.

Tigers trading for Adley Rutschman probably won't be on the table in the offseason

Dillon Dingler and Jake Rogers have been manning the backstop together since late last season, when Dingler was called up in July. Since then, he's taken over Rogers' role as the Tigers' primary catcher and has become one of the more elite defensive catchers in the game while also making strides at the plate.

Their reasons for moving Rogers to the back seat were obvious on both offensive and defensive fronts, but they still won't be looking for a backup catcher in the offseason. Rogers is arbitration eligible through 2026, and they seem to love him on an organizational level.

Even if they were to try to upgrade, they wouldn't give the Orioles the amount of prospect capital they're likely to ask for Rutschman, only to have him play backup to Dingler (or to create a catching competition in which one of the candidates feels like an outcast).

Someone will want to trade for Rutschman in the offseason — one year of underperformance isn't enough for most teams to write him off so quickly — but it probably won't be the Tigers, who seem more than happy with what they already have.