The Baltimore Orioles have finalized a substantial long-term deal with catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo. This agreement grants Basallo an eight-year, $67 million financial commitment, coupled with a club option for the 2034 season. Additional incentives could escalate the contract’s value up to $88.5 million.
“We are thrilled to agree with Samuel long-term and are delighted about what this means for him and his family,” said top baseball operations executive Mike Elias in a release. “His debut and this extension are significant successes for our organization, from the efforts of our international scouting team to the achievements of our player development staff. I thank the ownership group, led by David Rubenstein, for supporting our investment in Samuel as we aim for sustained on-field success.”
Translation: “Estamos emocionados de acordar con Samuel a largo plazo y estamos encantados con lo que esto significa para él y su familia” – Mike Elias.
Basallo’s extension represents the highest compensation ever awarded to a catcher with limited service time in Major League Baseball. The following table provides a comparison of recent signature deals for catchers who have signed extensions within two years of service time:
| Catcher | Team | Contract Amount | Service Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Basallo | Orioles | $67M | 0.005 |
| Salvador Perez | Royals | $7M | 0.050 |
| Keibert Ruiz | Nationals | $50M | 1.064 |
| Yan Gomes | Guardians | $23M | 1.083 |
| Brian McCann | Braves | $27.8M | 1.117 |
| Carlos Santana | Guardians | $21M | 1.121 |
| Jonathan Lucroy | Brewers | $11M | 1.136 |
At just 21 years old, Basallo made his MLB debut on August 17, performing impressively with a .286/.333/.357 batting line across four games, including an extra-base hit and a strikeout.
Basallo was recently identified by CBS Sports as the No. 9 prospect in the minors:
“Basallo is a powerful left-handed hitter with an average exit velocity exceeding 95 mph on nearly 60% of his batted balls thus far. The crucial question remains: where will he play moving forward? The Orioles have utilized him as a catcher in Triple-A, yet it’s likely he will split time between catching and other roles. His bat remains his standout attribute.”
Translation: “Basallo es un bateador zurdo poderoso con una velocidad de salida promedio que supera las 95 mph en casi el 60% de sus bolas bateadas hasta ahora.”
Although Basallo’s position is still being defined, he is expected to take on the primary catching responsibilities after Adley Rutschman was placed on the injured list with a significant abdominal strain.
