Samuel Basallo extension: Orioles catcher signs historic eight-year, $67 million pact days after MLB debut
Basallo's contract is the largest ever given to a catcher with similar service time
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The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to a long-term contract extension with catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo. Basallo's pact will cover eight years and guarantee him $67 million. The deal includes a club option for the 2034 season, as well as incentives and escalators that could allow him to max out at $88.5 million.
"We are thrilled to agree with Samuel long-term and are delighted about what this means for him and his family," top baseball operations executive Mike Elias said in a press release. "His debut and this extension are big achievements for our organization, beginning with the work of our international scouting staff and carried forward successfully by our entire player development operation. I thank the ownership group, led by David Rubenstein, for supporting our investment in Samuel as we pursue consistent success on the field, now and in the future."
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Basallo's extension is the richest in Major League Baseball history for a catcher with so little service time. Indeed, here's a look at the other backstops since 2006 to sign extensions with fewer than two years of service time, and how their deals stack up to Basallo's, according to MLB Trade Rumors' contract database:
| Catcher | Team | Contract amount | Service time |
|---|---|---|---|
Samuel Basallo | Orioles | $67M | 0.005 |
$7M | 0.050 | ||
$50M | 1.064 | ||
$23M | 1.083 | ||
$27.8M | 1.117 | ||
Guardians | $21M | 1.121 | |
$11M | 1.136 |
Basallo, 21, only just debuted on Aug. 17. In four games since, he's batted .286/.333/.357 with an extra-base hit and a strikeout in 15 trips to the plate. He had previously spent the season in Triple-A, hitting .270/.377/.589 with 23 home runs and 17 additional extra-base hits.
Basallo was ranked by CBS Sports as the No. 9 prospect in the minors last month. Here's what we wrote at the time:
Basallo is a big, strong left-handed hitter who has recorded an exit velocity of 95 mph or higher on nearly 60% of his batted balls to date. The question remains: where does he play at the next level? The Orioles have continued to catch him a fair amount in Triple-A, but one would assume that the answer entails him splitting time behind the plate and either at first base or designated hitter. Either way, the draw here is his bat. MLB ETA: Summer 2025
Basallo's long-term defensive home remains uncertain. For now, he figures to continue seeing most of his action behind the plate after Adley Rutschman was placed on the injured list with an oblique strain that could cost him the remainder of the season.
