Question: I guess production doesn’t play into salary. Catcher Adley Rutschman should be embarrassed to accept $7.25 million for .220/9/25 for last year after how bad he was the year before. The Orioles should have their collective heads examined. I think the Orioles should have let him go rather than to pay him that much. With all the talk about extending the young “core”… I sure hope he never is. From what I’ve seen, he’s hit his ceiling. He can’t hit, field or throw. From: Robert Austin
Answer: Bob, very rarely do you see a player receive a cut in salary in the arbitration system. Rutschman has had a bad season-and-a-half offensively, but you are incorrect about his defense.
Late last season, interim manager Tony Mansolino said that he thought Rutschman had had his best season defensively, and in just 73 games behind the plate, he had a 1.3 Defensive WAR (Wins Above Replacement), which is excellent.
He threw out 24 percent of baserunners attempting to steal, which is 2.5 percent above league average.
I think 2026 will be a big year for Rutschman, and we’ll have a better idea of his ceiling after it.
Rutschman is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, and if his offense straightens out, I think you’ll see his true value.
Question: I wonder if any players were really troubled after arbitration cases. Like if they were mad at the team or discouraged after hearing the case against them. Maybe the way the team presents their case, it’s like constructive criticism? Would like to be a fly on the wall. From: Timothy Morris.
Answer: Timothy, I’m sure players are troubled after arbitration cases, and while I’ve never witnessed a hearing, I’m sure both sides try to make it about business and keep the personal criticisms out of it.
From what I can gather, it’s more about comparing players statistically with others, not: “You walked too many guys,” or “You struck out too much and didn’t hit in the clutch.”
Teams realize that players have to play for their team following a hearing, and don’t want to anger them, though the whole process probably annoys all involved.
Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.