Orioles Give Catcher Record Extension Amid Adley Rutschman’s Stunning Fall

A week ago, Samuel Basallo was still in the minor leagues. On Friday, he got a record deal at his position. 

The team agreed to an eight-year contract extension with Basallo worth $67 million that can reach $88.5 million with awards and playing time incentives, according to multiple reports. 

The 21-year-old made his major league debut on Sunday and the new contract will begin next season. The contract is the largest contract extension given to a catcher before reaching arbitration, according to ESPN. It’s also the first extension general manager Mike Elias has given to a homegrown player since he took over in 2018.

The Dominican slugger is considered one of the top hitting prospects in baseball. He drove in the go-ahead run in the team’s win on Tuesday over the Red Sox and had an RBI in each of his first three MLB games. 

The extension was reported a day after the team placed one-time franchise centerpiece catcher Adley Rutschman on the injured list with a right oblique strain. The move came five weeks after Rutschman returned from another IL stint with a left oblique strain. 

Rutschman was the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft and was a key part of the Orioles’ playoff seasons in 2023 and 2024. He was named an All-Star in both seasons.

But his steep decline at the plate has run concurrently with the Orioles suddenly returning to their losing ways. Rutschman’s production dipped in the second half of 2024 and has stayed down as he’s hit a career-low .227 in 85 games this year. Despite a roster that includes Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Jackson Holliday, the Orioles are in last place at 59–68 as of Friday.

The Basallo extension doesn’t necessarily mean Rutschman’s time in Baltimore is over. Basallo is largely thought of as a potential star on offense, meaning he could play first base or be a designated hitter. But it’s notable that the Orioles paid Basallo first.

Before the season, Rutschman and the Orioles avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $5.5 million. Barring an extension, he has two years left of arbitration before he would become a free agent in 2028 at age 30, according to Spotrac.