How Orioles’ Samuel Basallo extension affects Adley Rutschman | ANALYSIS

The Orioles already had a franchise catcher when they signed Samuel Basallo to an eight-year, $67 million contract extension Friday.Adley Rutschman was the face of the organization as soon as he arrived to the major leagues, a No.

1 overall draft pick who ushered in a new era of Orioles baseball and backed up the hype.

Despite finishing last year in an extended slump and struggling to return to form in 2025, hes been a player central to the organizations hopes of competing for a championship.Basallos deal, which includes a 2034 club option and incentives that could drive it up to $88.5 million, doesnt create any immediate logjams at catcher.

In fact, his presence only strengthens the position for the Orioles.

Baltimore was already planning to use both Rutschman and Basallo on a near-everyday basis before the former landed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right oblique, carrying Alex Jackson as a third catcher so they both could be in the lineup.The fact that Sammy is so versatile, thats going to help that a lot, interim manager Tony Mansolino said Friday, highlighting Basallos ability to play first base as well.

Then you also got a DH position.

So, any time you have two guys that can catch at a high level, on a big league team, you have a massive advantage over teams that dont.When the Orioles do get Rutschman back, whether it be September or next season, he isnt losing the lions share of the starts to the 21-year-old.

Rutschman remains a much better defender than his younger counterpart at this stage of their respective careers, and Basallos profile raises questions over whether hell even remain behind the plate long term.Sure, Basallos deal might make Rutschman more expendable by simple roster construction.

Yet the Orioles could benefit from their American League Rookie of the Year Award candidate learning from Rutschman as a teammate whose presence wouldnt require him to be thrust full-time into one of the most difficult positions in sports right away.I fully envision Adley kind of doing the things that were done for him, Mansolino said Sunday.

When Robby Chirinos came in and took Adley under his wing and James McCann took Adley under his wing, now is kind of time to pay it forward.

I havent even talked with Adley about this, but I have 100% faith that hes probably already thinking how to help him out.Trading Rutschman now would also be selling low on a player who was receiving down-ballot Most Valuable Player Award votes his first two seasons in the league.

His prolonged offensive struggles are a concern, but they also make him a difficult player to appraise in trade talks.

The Orioles would be hard-pressed to garner the kind of return that would justify moving on from a player with his franchise-altering upside.After all, Rutschman is still one of the Orioles best candidates to join Basallo in signing an extension.

Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday are all represented by mega-agent Scott Boras, who has a well-established track record of guiding his clients to free agency to maximize their value.We have an unbelievably talented young group, Holliday said.

I dont know what the future has to hold, but I know I enjoy playing with these guys a whole lot in this clubhouse, and would love to for a long time.Though signing two catchers to long-term deals would be unorthodox, Rutschman and Basallo could benefit each other by decreasing the workload they each have to shoulder.Rutschman, even as a player who sees his fair share of time at designated hitter, has appeared in the eighth-most games behind the dish of any catcher since the start of the 2022 season.

Introducing Basallo into the mix more often will allow the Orioles to keep Rutschman fresher while mitigating some of the wear-and-tear concerns over signing a catcher into his 30s.There is still the legitimate question of whether the Orioles are willing to pay the kind of deal Rutschman would command.

Basallos pre-arbitration extension might be the fourth-largest contract in Orioles history, but its much more representative of a deal a player with only four (now five) games experience would sign than one good enough to entice a proven All-Star.While owner David Rubenstein has deep enough pockets to sign any member of the Orioles young core, the club hasnt yet shown it either can or will pull off the big deal so far in his tenure nor in that of executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias.A good comp would be the six-year, $105 million deal Cal Raleigh signed with the Seattle Mariners in March (before he exploded into one of the most prolific power hitters in the game).

JT Realmutos five-year, $115.5 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies and Salvador Perezs four-year, $82 million deal could also be in the same neighborhood, though both deals had average annual values north of $20 million compared with $17.5 million for Raleigh.What will ultimately decide Rutschmans future is himself.

He will need to figure out how to get right by next season; the Orioles chances of bouncing back from their lost 2025 season and his future with the organization depend on it.

Rutschman is only under contract for two more years and continued struggles with his left-handed swing could lead to an eventual platoon situation.Basallo has wedged himself right into the middle of the Orioles long-term plans.

He isnt necessarily a roadblock standing in the way of Rutschman doing so too, but his contract is a new wrinkle that could turn into a permanent crease in discussions surrounding Rutschmans future if he doesnt hit his way back to superstardom.Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo's versatility should help him find a consistent role without taking playing time away from Adley Rutschman.

(AP Photo/David J.

Phillip).

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