Orioles still searching for Rutschman’s backup for 2025

Besides a top-of-the-rotation starter and a middle-of-the-order right-handed hitting outfielder, the Orioles also could use additional back-end relief pitching, and a backup catcher.

While each of the other spots could be filled by several players, perhaps the trickiest to fill is the No. 2 catcher behind Adley Rutschman.

Rutschman’s backup for the last two seasons, James McCann, could end up being his understudy again in 2025. But the 34-year-old McCann would like more security than a one-year-deal.

The Orioles have two other catchers on the 40-man roster. Blake Hunt was obtained in a trade with Seattle that sent Mike Baumann to the Mariners, and René Pinto was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay last month.

Rutschman’s backup is a challengiing job. In 2023 and 2024, he started 104 and 99 games behind the plate while McCann started 54 and 63.

If Rutschman returns to his 2022 and 2023 form, he might catch more than he did in 2024. He was the designated hitter in 42 games.

The ideal backup for Rutschman isn’t going to be promised more than two starts per week.

That would be fine for McCann, but perhaps not for Kyle Higashioka, another 34-year-old who started 77 games at catcher for San Diego, or 29-year-old Danny Jansen, who started 72 games for Toronto and Boston.

Hunt has never played in the major leagues, and Pinto has played just 82 games for the Rays over the last two seasons. Baserunners stole 50 bases in 55 attempts against Pinto, and the Orioles probably want someone with a higher caught-stealing percentage.

Three catchers — Travis d’Arnaud, who signed a two-year, $12 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, Austin Hedges and Jacob Stallings — are off the market. Hedges and Stallings re-signed with Cleveland and Colorado.

Including McCann, there are 12 other major league catching free agents.

Besides Hunt and Pinto, the Orioles have the No. 13 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. Samuel Basallo, who is a catcher and first baseman, is just 20 but his impending arrival probably will mean the Orioles won’t offer a multi-year contract for a backup.

Basallo has played just 21 games, catching in 11 games for Triple-A Norfolk, hitting .222 with three home runs and 10 RBIs. Ninety-one Triple-A innings aren’t nearly enough for Basallo, and he might need at least most of the 2025 season before he’s ready to catch in the major leagues.

While he threw out one just one of 13 baserunners for the Tides, he threw out 27 percent for Double-A Bowie.

Another well-known catcher, Gary Sánchez, is also a free agent, but he’s known more for his slugging than his defense and has played with five teams since 2021.

Other notable names are: Carson Kelly, who caught 75 games for Detroit and Texas; Yasmani Grandal, who caught 71 games for Pittsburgh; and Elias Díaz, who caught 79 games for Colorado and San Diego. Kelly is 30. Grandal is 36, and Díaz is 34.

The Orioles have been fortunate in Rutschman’s three years. They had exceptional mentors in McCann the past two years and Robinson Chirinos, who was named last week as the Orioles’ bench coach.

The Orioles also have Creed Willems, their eighth-round draft pick in 2021, who has inched his way up and had an impressive 17-game stint in the Arizona Fall League.

Willems hit .338 with two home runs and 11 RBIs at catcher and first base for Surprise. He moved up to Bowie for the first time in 2024 and hit .262 with four homers and 14 RBIs in 16 games. He could be an extra catcher during spring training and could play at Norfolk later in the season.

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