Subscribe
Follow Us
On Friday, the Baltimore Orioles signed catcher Samuel Basallo to an eight-year $67 million deal. A massive move after proving himself in only four games.
But it turns out this wasn't his first rodeo. In 2021, Basallo had a deal on the table with the New York Yankees, but it fell through, per Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.
That January, the Yankees worked something out with Basallo while he was an amateur player. However, they ended up signing pitcher Gerrit Cole as a free agent.
In the process, the Yankees lost $1 million in their international signing pool. As a result, they had to let Basallo go.
Ultimately, the Orioles signed Basallo to a $1.3 million deal. In his four games, Basallo is batting .286 with four hits and five RBIs.
Before that, he batted .270 with 73 hits, 49 runs scored, 23 home runs, and 67 RBIs in the minor leagues.
On Aug. 17, Basallo was called up to the Major Leagues by his father. In his first game, he went 1-for-4 and was hit by a pitch.
As a result, Basallo became the first Orioles player in history to get on base in his first at-bat via a hit by a pitch.
In his second game, Basallo became the first franchise player to drive in two RBIs in his first two games.
The historic nature of the Samuel Basallo deal
The deal rewarded to Basallo is historic for a multitude of reasons. It is the largest pre-arbitration deal awarded to a catcher in MLB history, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.
After three years, players are eligible for arbitration. Also, the Orioles are being particularly ambitious in maximizing the international market as well as a rare occurrence of giving out a long term deal.
Furthermore, the Orioles are looking to make Basallo are core player for the franchise. In essence, they see the 21 year old catcher as the future.
