What to Make of Orioles’ Extension of Samuel Basallo

His promotion ended what was a strong three-year barrage in the Minors. Basallo hit .313 (.953 OPS) in 2023, moving from Low-A to Double-A that season. He smacked 39 home runs across 2023-24, cementing his status as a formidable catching prospect before what was a great 2025 season in Norfolk (AAA).

Basallo did show willingness to expand the zone at Triple-A (32.8%), and that hasn’t changed during his short sample size at the MLB level.

Defensively, the Orioles had Basallo play both first and catcher over the last few seasons. Basallo showed off a gun of an arm in past seasons; he threw out 33.1% of runners in 2023. That number, though, dipped to 12.8% in 2025.

Like how the Orioles have handled Adley Rutschman, Basallo likely figures as a player who can fit at first base and DH, as well as catch on occasion. That move would allow the O’s to keep his bat in the lineup every day and keep Rutschman. Rutschman, currently on the IL, is a plus defender behind the plate.

Per ESPN, the Orioles signed Samuel Basallo to an eight-year extension worth $67MM. It’ll begin in 2026 and also include a club option, potentially keeping Basallo in town for the next decade.

Analysis

It’s been a recurring theme over the last few years: teams trying to lock up star young players before the arbitration years. While that strategy can come at a short-term loss (i.e., paying more money in the pre-arbitration years), it does come with major benefits. Namely, ensuring a young player is locked up through their 20s and saving money along the way.

Just in the 2025 season alone, Jackson Merrill, Roman Anthony, and Kristian Campbell all extended off pre-arbitration deals. This contract has more similarities to the Campbell one, as the other two were both done after a larger sample size.

Now, from the Orioles’ standpoint, this deal has the potential to be a steal. Basallo could very well be a 25-30 home run hitter. He’s got the strength and bat speed to do it. And if he can pull the ball — he did so 37% of the time in Triple-A among in-play balls — the output could be special.

However, Basallo is just one piece of the Orioles’ future. Baltimore has several outstanding players, namely Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Jackson Holliday, who have extensive MLB experience and haven’t been extended.

Obviously, the situations for those players are different. Henderson, at age 24, is already three years in and can test the market after his age-27 season. Rutschman, like Henderson, also has three years of MLB experience (although, given his 2024-25 performance & the positional depth chart as it is, Adley may not be an ideal extension candidate).

Nonetheless, it helps to have one key piece locked up — one who could become the Orioles’ #3 or #4 hitter for years to come.