Orioles Sign No. 1 Pick Adley Rutschman to Record-Breaking Bonus That Surpasses Gerrit Cole's

When the Baltimore Orioles drafted catching prospect Adley Rutschman first overall in this year's MLB Draft, people wondered how rich Baltimore would make their new piece.

The answer? Very.

Per Jon Heyman, the O's just handed their catcher of the future a huge deal, thanks to a signing bonus of around $8.1 million -- the largest in MLB Draft history.

Based on what we've seen from Rutschman at Oregon State, he's a player who is absolutely deserving of that bonus. For his age, he's a plus-plus hitter, power bat, fielder, and thrower -- all four of those categories have 60/80 grades on MLB Prospect Watch -- making him a serious threat to be one of the most dangerous five-tool players in the league in a few years.

In a time period where catcher production is at an all-time low, Rutschman gives the struggling Orioles a glimmer of future hope. After years of obscurity, Baltimore may have just secured its franchise cornerstone for the next 15 years.

Congrats to the slugger! Gerrit Cole now sits $100K behind him for the record.