Samuel Basallo role exposes a risky Orioles roster flaw for 2026

Baltimore Orioles top prospect Samuel Basallo is obviously going to factor into the team's plans for 2026 one way or another. However, Baltimore is going to have to confront an odd roster quirk as a result of Basallo likely being the team's primary designated hitter.

Basallo's primary position is catcher, but Adley Rutschman is the team's primary starter behind the dish so DH is where the 21-year-old is going to get the bulk of his playing time. On the one hand that makes sense given his potential with the bat, but on the other it is a bit risky to have your backup catcher as your primary DH.

Orioles opting for odd roster construction with Samuel Basallo as DH

This is further complicated by the fact that Pete Alonso is going to be the team's primary first baseman and Ryan Mountcastle also figures to have a spot on the bench even though he only played first base last season.

What if Rutschman gets injured in a game and needs to be replaced? That could mean Baltimore would have to forfeit their DH and have Basallo enter the game as the replacement catcher which could mean the pitcher would have to bat for the remainder of the game.

Obviously, that is a less than ideal scenario.

A logical solution would be to carry an extra catcher on the bench to avoid that possibility, but with Mountcastle already likely to have a bench spot that would leave room for just one infielder and one outfielder assuming Baltimore opts to carry four bench players.

It is an awkward problem to have but not one that is insurmountable. Obviously, the O's are high on Basallo which is why they gave him an eight-year extension last season even though he had just made his big league debut days prior.

Basallo is considered one of the top prospects in baseball so the Orioles are going to accommodate him however they can. The Dominican product has slimmed down and lost some weight coming into this season which should help him wherever the Orioles choose to use him on the diamond.

Still, the Orioles have to be actively thinking through contingency plans at the catcher position. New manager Craig Albernaz would have egg on his face if he ended up having to use his pitcher to hit and it wound up costing the team a game. Carrying a third catcher on the roster is probably the easiest solution, but it would further limit a bench that already figures to be a bit tight.