Orioles Sign Former Braves Veteran Catcher After Injury to Highly Valued Prospect

The Baltimore Orioles have suffered multiple minor league injuries at the catcher position, and in response have signed a veteran free agent replacement.

May 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Chadwick Tromp (45) gestures to the Braves dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Pittsburgh won 4-1. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have had a tough few weeks with the catcher position, primarily when it comes to their minor league squads. The Norfolk Tides have now had two catchers go down with an injury in the span of approximately two weeks, and this is a pretty strong hit to the depth of the Major League team in the event of an injury or need for another backup there.

The top prospect in the Orioles system, and the No. 12 prospect in the league according to MLB.com Samuel Basallo went down with a hamstring injury and would be placed on the Triple-A Injured List. In addition to this, Triple-A catcher David Bañuelos would also be placed on the Injured List today, and in response, the team would sign veteran replacement Chadwick Tromp to a minor league deal, as was reported by Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports.

With multiple setbacks at the position now, Baltimore desperately needed someone to fill in at the catcher position for a few weeks as their injured players recover. Tromp was one of the better options on the market at the position, with many of the other veterans having been scooped up already.

So far in 2025, he has only played two games, but in 2024 he played in 19, slashing .250/.259/.365 with six RBI, three runs, and 17 strikeouts to one walk. His offensive production is not the focus of his game though, as his defense is above average and he is usually able to make some solid plays behind the plate.

In 2024 he had two steals caught above average and a 1.92-second pop time according to Baseball Savant, which while not great, is solid for a backup option. He will be a replacement-level player for the Orioles, and the hope would be he will remain depth as they look to get some of their key pieces back off the IL.

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