Rutschman Is Still on the Depth Chart. He Plays for Boston Now.

I wrote Tuesday that catching was Banner's most urgent problem. The depth chart makes the case more bluntly than I did: Adley Rutschman — the team's only All-Star this season — is listed third at the position, behind Samuel Basallo and Carlos Narváez, for a team he no longer plays for. The data hasn't caught up to the trade. The roster situation has.

Basallo finished the year at .276/.345/.519 with 12 home runs in 67 games, which is a real number from a 22-year-old who profiles as a legitimate starter. The problem is he spent time on the injured list down the stretch, and the backup behind him is thin. Rutschman, meanwhile, hit .273/.348/.483 in his 58 games as an Oriole before the deal sent him to Boston. That production is now someone else's.

The offseason cleanup has started — the Luis Robert option was declined, roster cuts have begun — but none of that touches the catching question. Banner can talk about building a winner, and he has, but the position that defined this franchise's recent identity is now a hole dressed up as a depth chart. Basallo is the answer if he stays healthy and takes a step forward. That's a lot of ifs for a team that went 79-82 and is already asking its young players to carry weight the veterans used to share.