The Orioles announced a flurry of roster moves this morning, highlighted by the club’s decision to select the contract of top prospect Samuel Basallo. Basallo will take the 40-man roster spot of right-hander Zach Eflin, who was transferred to the 60-day injured list and was already known to be done for the 2025 season. In addition, Baltimore activated outfielder Colton Cowser from the 7-day concussion-related injured list. Ryan Noda and Daniel Johnson were optioned to the minor leagues to make room for Basallo and Cowser on the active roster.
Basallo, who celebrated his 21st birthday just last week, entered the year as a consensus top-15 prospect in baseball and has more than proved himself worthy of that status with his work at Triple-A this year. The Santo Domingo native was signed as an international amateur by the Orioles back in 2021 and, after struggling in his first taste of Triple-A late last year, has slashed an incredible .270/.377/.589 (151 wRC+) in 76 games for the club’s Norfolk affiliate this year. He’s crushed 23 homers in that time, and while his 23.7% strikeout rate is the highest he’s posted in a full season so far that’s more than made up for by his aforementioned power and a strong 13.7% walk rate.
Those numbers would be impressive for any player, but they become all the more incredible with the context that Basallo is a catcher in the midst of his age-20 campaign. Basallo’s aforementioned 151 wRC+ is the fourth-highest figure in Triple-A’s International League this year, and he’s done that despite being the youngest qualified hitters at the level. Just ten hitters in their age-22 season or younger have qualified, and among them only four others (Justin Crawford of the Phillies as well as Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros, and Kevin Alcantara of the Cubs) have posted above-average numbers. All four of those youngsters are top-100 prospects in their own right, and only Caissie’s 142 wRC+ comes within spitting distance of Basallo’s elite numbers.
All of that is to say that Basallo has absolutely nothing left to do offensively at Triple-A. The youngster’s defense behind the plate has been the subject of some questions both from outside evaluators and even from the brass within his own organization, however. GM Mike Elias suggested back in June that Basallo’s defense needed some work before he could be called up to the majors, but it appears the youngster has either assuaged those concerns about his glove or simply done so much with the bat that the Orioles can’t justify holding him back for the sake of his glove any longer.
It will be worth watching how the Orioles use Basallo in the coming weeks. He’s only played catcher, first base, and DH in the minor leagues. That should leave him limited to those three positions at the big league level as well, but the O’s already have starters at all three positions at the moment. Adley Rutschman is back in the lineup behind the plate after missing some time earlier this year and figures to remain the primary option at the position for now even in the midst of a middling season. Youngster Coby Mayo is in the midst of his own long-awaited tryout at first base, and it makes little sense for the Orioles to limit the 23-year-old’s playing time as they look to decide if he can serve as their first baseman of the future headed into 2026. That’s left Ryan Mountcastle to shift off first base and take the lion’s share of playing time at DH in recent days. The 28-year-old has struggled to a .250/.285/.373 (81 wRC+) this year, but spent most of the season on the injured list due to a hamstring strain and has slashed an excellent .276/.333/.517 with two homers, two steals, and a double in eight games since being activated.
Perhaps everyone in that quartet will be able to start four or five games a week with pinch-hitting opportunities on days they aren’t starting. It’s also possible that Mayo could get some occasional looks at third base (currently held down by Jordan Westburg) to help create more vacancies at first base. Mountcastle even has some experience in the outfield, although he hasn’t played on the grass since 2021 so it’s unclear if he’s still capable of handling the position. If making an occasional appearance in left wouldn’t be an injury risk for Mountcastle, it would be fair to say that his bat could make up for whatever defensive miscues he might be vulnerable to after a long layoff at the position.
Now that Cowser is back from the injured list, Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun notes that (according to interim manager Tony Mansolino) the 25-year-old will slide into center field upon his return. Cowser’s been entrenched as the club’s regular left fielder since his excellent rookie campaign last year, and while injuries and ineffectiveness have limited him to an 89 wRC+ in 56 games he’ll still be a substantial offensive upgrade over the players tasked with holding down the position since Cedric Mullins was traded to the Mets last month like Johnson and Greg Allen.
That leaves two outfield spots for the taking. One figures to be left to Dylan Beavers, another one of the club’s top prospects who made his big league debut just yesterday and went 1-for-5 with a double and two strikeouts. Like Basallo, he clearly has nothing left to prove in the minors after hitting .304/.420/.515 (152 wRC+) at the level with a 16.3% walk rate, 23 steals, and 18 home runs in 94 games this year. Beavers should get regular playing time in one corner going forward, but the short-term solutions at the other corner don’t inspire confidence.
Jeremiah Jackson and Dylan Carlson are the options available on the roster at present now that Noda and Johnson are ticketed for Triple-A, but both come with questions. Carlson has a meager 56 wRC+ this year and hasn’t been an above-average player since 2021. Jackson, meanwhile, is a 25-year-old who only just reached the Triple-A level earlier this year and was promoted primarily due to a scorching hot stretch of 40 games at the level where he bashed 11 homers and hit .377. That sort of performance is surely unsustainable at the big league level, and while his 107 wRC+ at the big league level so far is decent, a .435 BABIP and a 31.4% strikeout rate don’t appear likely to be sustainable.
That could leave room for Mountcastle to pick up occasional reps in left field, health permitting. Even if he can patrol left without risk of re-injuring his balky hamstring, however, it’s worth noting that would surely be a temporary solution to the logjam Basallo’s promotion creates given that the Orioles have two options for regular at-bats in left field on the injured list at present. Tyler O’Neill has been sidelined by wrist inflammation in recent weeks but should be a fixture of the club’s lineup once he returns. The 30-year-old has the opportunity to opt out of the final two years of his contract with Baltimore but seems unlikely to exercise that option after appearing in just 43 games and posting a pedestrian 98 wRC+ when on the field.
Heston Kjerstad is another option to get reps in the outfield at some point, but seems less certainty to be called upon than O’Neill. Kjerstad was placed on the minor league injured list due to what was described at the time as fatigue in late July and hasn’t appeared in a game since, but the former top prospect has struggled badly this year with a .192/.240/.327 (56 wRC+) slash line. Even in spite of those brutal numbers, however, the club’s commitment to playing youngsters like Basallo, Beavers, and Mayo down the stretch could suggest that they’ll try to get Kjerstad another look in the majors during these final weeks of a lost 2025 season.
I’m not sure what happened with Baltimore a few years ago they had some great young players and now have fallen off a cliff. I don’t know if ownership didn’t spend on free agents to compliment the the young players or what. I’ve been hearing about Basllo for a while. Let’s see what he can do.
They’ve had some regression with their top prospects, and they didn’t supplement the roster with enough free agents and trades. Still a lot of talent there, so wouldn’t surprise me if they turn it around next year.
The “great young players” were all hitters. The team refused to trade any of them, at first, for pitchers. Then they did but not enough, and then a couple of the hitters didn’t quite pan out. They have kind of blown a miracle class of position players, but still have time. Guys like Cowser and Holliday should be traded this off-season for pitching talent, and they should go wild in the reliever FA market. But they won’t because they don’t have a big payroll and several of the kids are needing extensions soon.
Basallo, btw, might be the best of all of them, Henderson included.
If you look back last 3 years, the Orioles traded away Hernaiz, Ortiz, Hall, Showalter, Rom, Prieto, Johnson, Chace, Norby, Stowers, Baumeister, Etzel, and Horvath. All of whom were on organization top 30 at some point. They have traded away many prospects.
I think prior to the season the pitching was in a 1 year shamble and the GM knew it and didn’t react strongly, instead just tried to patch a 85 win team together that failed miserably when the young offense regressed.
On the pitching side they knew they lost Bradish and Wells, a CY young candidate and a borderline all star. As well as Grayson injury history.
The plan might have been to just punt 2025 all along. And with the way the offense flopped and the young stars failed to take it to the next level, I kind of agree it was the right move.
Gab — “the plan might have been to just punt 2025 all along.”
…sure…sure, that’s gotta be it… As an old-regime GM under a new ownership group, he definitely decided to punt, no doubt, you nailed it.
A number of baseball writers have suggested that their reluctance to trade more of their young bats at peak value for a controllable top of the rotation starter has landed them in this predicament.
Prospects like Mayo & Westburg. Trading for a high quality controllable starting pitcher often requires an overpay because they are scarce & teams are very reluctant to give them up.
It doesn’t help when you trade Norby and Stowers for Trevor Rogers, and then Stowers crushes it, while Roger’s struggled last year (he’s pitched like an ace after coming back from IR though). That has to give the GM a huge case of the yips when it comes to pulling the trigger on any deal.
They have been killed with injuries past couple years. Amazing they are still playing tough considering. You see the team they could be when healthy and it’s just frustrating
Too many of their “can’t-miss HOFers” failed. I assume we’ll hear how Basallo is the next Yogi Berra.
Who are you talking about on the Orioles?
Lolwut. The only voice ever calling any of them “can’t-miss-HOFers” was in your Boog’s-addled brain.
letit — List of failed players, please.
Hopefully this doesnt make mayo yoyo in and out of the lineup. Mountcastle should be more of the odd man out.
As long as the Mayo and basallo are getting some experience in the field as well as consistent at bats, mountcastle and rutschman can share playing time. Mainly with mountcastle getting the short end of the stick.
100%. If Mayo and Sammy aren’t playing 5-6 days a week from here on out there’s a problem.
Adley needs to be playing 5 or 6 days a week, as well. Whether he’s in the long term plans, or ticketed for the trade block, he needs the reps to get his swing back. Unless you feel they should sell low on him and basically just dump him.
For these last 6 weeks, the young kids should be the priority so their development isn’t hindered. But I don’t disagree with your premise.
The orioles have a habit of calling people up and then letting them rot on the bench. I hope Samuel plays.
Basallo is the DH of the Orioles’ present and future. My guess is that he strikes out a lot but hits for enough power to make up for it.
He is 100 percent thr backup catcher next year unless Ruschman is traded or n off-season which I don’t see happening.
Rutschman’s lefty swing has been lackluster for the past couple seasons. Basallo could take advantage of this and by mid ’26 there could be a solid platoon. When and if Basallo’s catching reaches the proficiency threshold necessary, the story on who’s the lead could easily flip. Anyways, less pressure on Rutschman will be a good thing for Rutschman and the Orioles.
I laughed reading his bio. He’s 6′ 04″ and 180? Ha.. I saw him in spring training and those numbers must’ve been on the day they signed him at 16.
Same. First met him at spring training ’22. I’m 6’4” 210 and he was already bigger than me back then.
Probably a typo from 280, lol.
Here we gO’s!! Been waiting on Basallo since he first signed.
Big step for him, but for the Orioles too.
Basallo was the first year/wave of the International prospects Mike Elias oversaw, and his work getting the International development started for the franchise, when it was absolutely nothing. Now, (6 years later), the first chicken has come home to roost.
Here’s hoping for all the success Basallo can get!
((And thanks to Mike Elias for actually making the International market an Orioles market after 30 years of Angelos neglect))
Go get ’em Sam!!
Odd timing calling Basallo up now since the Orioles still have 39 games to play. He’ll blow past 130 at bats and lose ROY eligibility for next year if he plays regularly. They could have waited a couple more weeks and avoided that scenario
They could also just play him regularly and then send him back down before he hits the number, or they could just play him sporadically and avoid the limit altogether.
He’s not going to play every day. 2 days off a week would be plenty to keep him below the threshold.
They don’t have to bat him everyday, say, against Lefty pitchers he might sit.
Basallo and Beavers will retain Rookie eligibility next year. Elias has been planning on it for months.
how days will there be on the major league roster ROS?
only 42 days to end of season, so he’ll be under the 45 days if he stays the whole time.
It’d be odd if he averaged >3 ABs per game the rest of the way. One off day per week would solve most of that.
He’ll probably sit against LHP
O there is Joy in Mudville
Basallo joining the Orioles is great news!! This is gonna be fun!
Fantasy and O’s fans, I added Basallo this morning, but now need a pitcher. Would you drop Mountcastle or Adley (and yes that’s now the bottom of my roster). Ryan has been better, but I fear his playing time will now be cut more than Adley’s. Thoughts?
Add Bradish? He’s got only one more rehab, and his last start looked much more Bradish.