Orioles owner’s comments on Samuel Basallo extension are a huge red flag

When the Baltimore Orioles signed Samuel Basallo to an eight-year extension, it was a glimmer of hope that things were about to change for the team's spending habits this offseason. When David Rubenstein's group took ownership control of the Orioles at the end of the 2024 season, the expectation was that he would usher the team into the modern ways of spending. Basallo's extension could be a sign of that, but if it was, Rubenstein's latest comments are a major red flag for what to expect moving forward.

Rubenstein was recently a guest on CBS News' The Takeout podcast and very much made it sound like he wouldn't have done the Basallo contract if it were solely his choice. Rubenstein confirmed this type of move is not something you would expect to see in the "private equity world" and that the price seemed too high for him, considering Basallo has very little experience at the Major League level.

Orioles fans left uneasy after Rubenstein weighs in on Basallo

"We gave him a long-term contract. He's going to be here for quite some time. The price seemed high to me at the time for a person who only played four Major League Baseball games. But he did a great job. He had a walk-off home run the other night, and we're very happy with the arrangement and we hope we can do other things like that as well”

Taking an exception to the amount of money Basallo received in his extension, $67 million, is a very odd choice. The extension was widely believed to be extremely team-friendly, and if there was a side that rushed to make the deal, it would have been Basallo, who entered the season as one of baseball's best prospects. If Basallo reaches his potential, the extension will look like a steal for the Orioles.

Again, when Rubenstein took control of the Orioles, the expectation was that he would bring a level of aggressive spending in free agency that had previously stunted the team's ascension toward being one of the best teams in the American League. That isn't exactly how it has played out, as the Orioles had their limitations last offseason in trying to bring Corbin Burnes back, and didn't really make much of an effort to replace the loss of Anthony Santander.

Still, it was Rubenstein's first offseason on the job, and it was hard to draw any hard-line conclusions from the lack of activity by the Orioles last winter. However, in the months since, there have been several signs that Rubenstein may not be the savior he was once believed to be.

That's not an ideal reality for the Orioles to be facing since they are already being met with pushback in trying to fill their vacant GM role and will need to have an aggressive offseason to correct the ship after a disastrous 2025 campaign.

More Orioles News from Birds Watcher