BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles were finally able to reach a long-term deal with one of their top prospects Friday, agreeing to a $67 million, eight-year contract with rookie catcher Samuel Basallo, according to a person familiar with the agreement.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been announced. The agreement — a record pre-arbitration deal for a catcher — starts in 2026 and includes a team option for 2034. It has escalators based on awards and playing time at catcher and could be worth $88.5 million.
It’s the first major long-term deal this Baltimore front office has been able to reach with one of the Orioles’ standout prospects, and it comes just four games into the 21-year-old Basallo’s big league career after he made his debut Sunday. He’s ranked as baseball’s No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
It’s a significant move for a Baltimore team that has come out of a rebuild with several impressive young players — Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and Jackson Holliday among them — but hadn’t been able to extend any of them beyond their initial periods of team control.
Rutschman, also a catcher, was terrific for his first couple years in the majors, but he slumped toward the end of 2024 and has hit just .227 during an injury-plagued 2025. Now the Orioles have made a commitment to Basallo, who can also play first base.
It’s been a dismal year in Baltimore, with fan frustration high after the team remained cautious in free agency and quickly fell to last place in the AL East after making the playoffs two straight seasons. Basallo’s recent call-up was much anticipated, and now the Orioles have shown a willingness to spend a bit more if that’s what’s needed to hold onto young talent.
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
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