Another big extension for another big-time pre-arbitration position player.
Just four games into his big league career, top prospect Samuel Basallo is getting a big extension from the Baltimore Orioles.
Samuel Basallo's deal with the Orioles, once completed, will begin next season and includes a club option as well. It can max out at $88.5 million and is the largest pre-arbitration extension for a catcher.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 22, 2025Basallo, who only just turned 21, is considered one of the best prospects in baseball, and is expected to hit at a very high level in the big leagues. The gamble here by the Orioles, in that respect, is a relatively small one. If they’re wrong and he never quite hits, they’re out less than $9 million per year for the next eight years. Even the Orioles can stomach that.
If Basallo does hit, however, the Orioles are effectively getting themselves arbitration rates locked in at a low price, PLUS two free agent years at a low price, PLUS a team option for a third would-be free agent year. They will be able to control him for a maximum of $88.5 million for the entirety of his 20s. I’d say that’s a pretty good risk for the O’s to take.
I limit my comments to the hitting, because that’s what makes Basallo a special prospect. Defensively, it’s not yet a lock that he’ll be able to stick in full-or-part-time behind the plate. It’s possible he becomes a bat-mostly type, who appears behind the plate only infrequently, and mostly winds up at first base and DH. That is to say, the bat is what will have to drive the value here, and most evaluators think it will.
To that end, I don’t necessarily see a lot of Adley Rutschman-related impact. The 27-year-old backstop is having a down year, but he still plays good defense and is under control for two more seasons via arbitration. I’d expect him to remain the top catcher in Baltimore … unless he’s traded. I guess we’ll see if he winds up getting shopped this offseason, though because he hasn’t hit all that well the last two years (.242/.315/.385/99 wRC+), I’m not sure how easily the Orioles and a trade partner could line up on value.
Lastly, if you’re looking for a Cubs parallel, I’m not sure there’s a perfect one. Your mind might go to similarly-aged, similarly-defensive-questioned catcher Moises Ballesteros, but his bat doesn’t project at quite the same level as Basallo, and there’s probably even less catching confidence with Ballesteros (or first base, for that matter).
Hence then, the article about baltimore orioles signing catching prospect samuel basallo to an eight year deal was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Baltimore Orioles Signing Catching Prospect Samuel Basallo to an Eight-Year Deal )
Also on site :