Welcome to another edition of the Orioles Beat newsletter. The O’s will play twice more against the Astros before welcoming the Red Sox to town for a four-game series starting Monday. |
BALTIMORE -- Interim manager Tony Mansolino was sitting in the Orioles’ clubhouse at Camden Yards on Friday afternoon when Samuel Basallo -- fresh off agreeing to an eight-year, $67 million contract extension -- arrived for the day. The deal hadn’t been announced, but Baltimore players knew what was coming for the club’s No. 1 prospect (and MLB Pipeline’s No. 8 overall). “Several guys right away walked up to Sammy when he walked in the clubhouse and shook his hand, gave him a hug, told him, ‘Congratulations.’ And some pretty prominent players did it,” Mansolino said. “Great joy for Sammy in a lot of ways, and just a lot of leadership right there by some of those guys. “I was super thrilled by those reactions by those guys, and honestly, I don’t think I’d expect anything different.” Everybody was thrilled -- Basallo, his family, the team and the Baltimore fan base, which had eagerly awaited the day when general manager Mike Elias gave out the first long-term extension of his tenure, which began in November 2018. “He's going to be a big part of this team for a long time, and for them to lock him up is pretty important, because he's a stud, for sure,” infielder Jackson Holliday said. Here are three takeaways from the momentous occasion. |
1. This kid is quite clearly a star in the making Basallo recently turned 21 (Aug. 13) and has played only five MLB games, the first coming this past Sunday in Houston. Yet, it’s easy to tell the 6-foot-4 left-handed slugger is a future star -- and a potential centerpiece of the Orioles for many years. Watch Basallo take batting practice and notice how the ball comes off the bat differently. The tools are there for great success down the line. He’s also handling the events of the past week with poise beyond his years, and he’ll likely again do so at the press conference for his extension Saturday at 2 p.m. ET at Camden Yards. “Just mature, just like everything else he does,” Mansolino said of Basallo’s handling of Friday’s fanfare. “Just very mature and calm and collected in a lot of ways. This is a big deal -- for him and for his family and for our organization.” |
2. Adley Rutschman still can have a future in Baltimore Basallo’s long-term contract doesn’t preclude the Orioles from keeping Rutschman around for a while, too. The club planned on playing both in the same lineup quite a bit down the stretch, until Rutschman went on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain on Thursday. Baltimore can often start either Rutschman or Basallo (whoever isn’t catching) at designated hitter and carry a third catcher on the 26-man active roster. Basallo can also play first base, a position where Mansolino was impressed by the skill set when watching drills in Spring Training. Mansolino said there’s “without a doubt” a way to utilize Rutschman and Basallo together. “The fact that Sammy is so versatile, that’s going to help a lot,” Mansolino said. “Then, you’ve also got a DH position. 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 don’t.” However, the 27-year-old Rutschman is only signed through the 2027 season. Which brings us to ... |
3. More extensions could be on the way The Basallo deal was a great starting point to what could turn into the Orioles securing the bulk of their young core for the long run. Their roster is filled with talented players such as Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser and others who will be integral to the organization's future success. “I don't know what the future has to hold,” Holliday said, “but I know I enjoy playing with these guys a whole lot in this clubhouse and would love to for a long time.” Baltimore’s ownership group -- led by private equity billionaire David Rubenstein, who purchased the team prior to the 2024 season -- has increased the club’s financial capabilities. It was evident during the O’s Trade Deadline fire sale, as they sent cash in multiple deals to help land greater prospect returns. “I want to thank and credit David and our ownership group for making that lever available to facilitate better talent returns,” Elias said on Aug. 1. “That was very helpful in us being able to execute an effective sell Deadline, and I think that speaks to their ability and willingness to invest not just in the team and the payroll, but in the organization. They really want to win.” Now, Rubenstein’s group finalized the first extension of the Elias era -- perhaps the first of at least several. |
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According to a source, here’s the yearly breakdown of Basallo’s extension with the O’s: 2026: $1 million 2027: $1 million 2028: $1 million 2029: $4 million 2030: $7 million 2031: $11 million 2032: $15 million 2033: $15 million 2034: $18 million team option or $7 million buyout Basallo also received a $5 million signing bonus. |
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When Basallo signed with the Orioles for $1.3 million out of the Dominican Republic, he was only 16. The hype and anticipation surrounding him have since grown over time. This is the timeline of notable events in Basallo’s professional career: Jan. 15, 2021: Signs for $1.3 million July 12, 2021: Debuts in the Dominican Summer League June 6, 2022: Comes stateside, debuts in the Florida Complex League April 6, 2023: Debuts at Single-A Delmarva Aug. 1, 2023: Promoted to High-A Aberdeen Sept. 12, 2023: Promoted to Double-A Bowie (now Chesapeake) Feb. 6, 2024: Invited to MLB Spring Training for the first time April 5, 2024: Returns to Double-A Bowie (now Chesapeake) Aug. 27, 2024: Promoted to Triple-A Norfolk Feb. 6, 2025: Invited to MLB Spring Training again March 28, 2025: Returns to Triple-A Norfolk Aug. 16, 2025: Learns of big league callup Aug. 17, 2025: Makes MLB debut, collects first hit Aug. 18, 2025: Makes big league catching debut Aug. 19, 2025: Drives in winning run in 11-inning win in Boston Aug. 21, 2025: Singles in Camden Yards debut Aug. 22, 2025: Signs eight-year extension |
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