The Baltimore Orioles’ ascension from the ashes of irrelevance has rejuvenated a once moribund franchise who were regular cellar dwellers in the American League East. Ebullience best describes the ethos of the Orioles at the outset of spring training due in large part to catcher Adley Rutschman. Besides Rutschman and a plethora of talent on the major league roster, the Orioles’ farm system is bursting with prospects that could transform how baseball is played in Baltimore over the next decade. Amid recent developments regarding Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt, Jr. and his 11-year, $288.7 million contract extension, does Rutschman deserve to be Major League Baseball’s next young superstar who secures a contract extension that can change the trajectory of his career and life?
The answer is yes, but patience will be required due to the Orioles’ ownership change to private equity billionaire David Rubenstein and his group of investors for 40% of the franchise at a purchase price of $1.725 billion. While Major League Baseball would love to expedite the sale over a period of several weeks, don’t be surprised if official confirmation doesn’t occur until the middle of the summer. Rubenstein’s tenure as control person of the Orioles should begin at some point during the 2024 season. In the interim, he will have an opportunity to carefully study Rutschman as arbitration eligibility awaits the 26-year-old switch hitter for the first time at season’s end.
In terms of length of years and value, don’t expect a contract extension for Rutschman that is similar in nature to Witt, Jr. given their differences in age and position. As both were selected in the 2019 draft, Rutschman was the first pick out of Oregon State University as a 21-year-old catcher while Witt, Jr. was the second pick as a high school shortstop who was days away from turning 19-years-old. When it comes to identifying a top priority for negotiations with Rutschman, an emphasis must be placed on maximizing value as a catcher during his age-27 through age-31 seasons.
Regardless of Rutschman’s accomplishments, there are still questions as to how he should be compensated based on being a catcher. How long will Rutschman catch before it is deemed necessary for him to move to another position? How do you quantify intangibles such as leadership, character and integrity? What value is placed on being the face of the franchise and possibly Major League Baseball? Are there hesitations in granting an extension to Rutschman due to the depth of talent on the current roster and in the farm system as evident in teammate Gunnar Henderson and the top prospect in Major League Baseball, Jackson Holliday?
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