The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to sign catcher Samuel Basallo, their top prospect, to an eight-year, $67 million contract, a league source confirmed to The Athletic’s Will Sammon on Friday.
The deal, which is set to take effect next year and was first reported by the Baltimore Banner, includes a club option for 2034 and could reach $88.5 million based on escalators for awards and playing time. It is a record pre-arbitration deal for a catcher.
BIG knock Basallo 💪 pic.twitter.com/1xNhiftfmu
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 19, 2025
Basallo, 21, debuted in the major leagues this week, just over four years after being signed for $1.3 million as a 16-year-old by the Orioles out of the Dominican Republic. The catcher came up before an injury sidelined backstop Adley Rutschman, the top pick in the 2019 draft, who finished runner-up in the 2022 Rookie of the Year race and then earned All-Star nods in the two seasons that followed.
Bassallo, who has gone 4-for-14 with five RBIs since being promoted Sunday, was No. 8 in Keith Law’s most recent prospect rankings, which were updated after last month’s draft. He started the year at No. 3 and is still the sport’s top catching prospect despite questions about his future behind the plate.
Since hitting .239 with a .748 OPS in his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League, Basallo has been on a tear. Across his five years in the minor leagues, he’s batted .283/.366/.498 with 73 home runs in 401 games. He has a 24 percent strikeout rate in 76 games at Triple A this season, roughly in line with his career rate of 21 percent. He also drew 44 walks at the level, just two fewer than when he had a 9 percent walk rate in 127 games last year.
A left-handed hitter, Basallo entered the season having avoided platoon concerns. He’s gone 13-for-64 (.203) and struck out 24 times against left-handed pitchers this season.
Although Basallo has replaced Rutschman as the primary catcher while the 27-year-old recovers from his second oblique strain of the season, he has played at first base throughout his pro career, including 20 games there this year. He could fit at the corner position in the future, should the Orioles decide to keep Rutschman as their No. 1 catcher. Law wrote in July: “There’s more reason to question Basallo’s future behind the plate, with worse scouting reports this year on his receiving and Baltimore’s choice to pass him over multiple times for a callup. The bat is going to play anywhere, though, and he may instead be their 30-homer first baseman of the future.”
— The Athletic’s Will Sammon contributed to this story.
(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)