Craig Albernaz addresses Orioles Adley Rutschman-Samuel Basallo catcher competition

Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz spoke about having Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo as options behind the dish.

Aug 14, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) stands on the field during the middle of the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

During the Baltimore Orioles' “Fan Appreciation Weekend” on September 21, former interim manager Tony Mansolino was asked by a kid about how star catcher Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo would “work in tandem" with the team in the future.

“Adley Rutschman is going to be your catcher here as long as we’ve got him. He’s a really, really good catcher. The beautiful thing about Sammy Basallo is he’s also a very good first baseman," Mansolino responded, per an article from Roch Kubatko of MASN.

"So between the first base position, the DH and the catching position, there is no doubt they can both be in the lineup at the same time pretty much every day," he added.

This quelled a lot of concerns Orioles fans had at the time about Basallo's emergence on the big league roster potentially meaning that Rutschman would get traded. Since then, the Orioles' front office has conveyed that they have no intention of trading Rutschman anytime soon.

Sep 19, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) celebrates after hitting a single during the second inning against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Craig Albernaz Speaks On Samuel Basallo, Adley Rutschman Situation

While Mansolino's sentiment was encouraging, it now holds no weight since he's no longer on the coaching staff. Instead, the person whose opinion matters is the Orioles' new manager, Craig Albernaz. And Albernaz recently spoke about having both Rutschman and Basallo on his roster heading into 2026.

“I’m excited. Adley and Basallo both have a ton of talent. Obviously, Basallo coming in, relatively not a lot of experience at the big league level, but you just see the talent jump right at you. And Adley, even before he got to the big leagues, and his pedigree behind the plate," Albernaz said of having both Basallo and Rutschman, per a November 9 article from Roch Kubatko of MASN.

Read more: How Craig Albernaz could change Adley Rutschman's Orioles future

“That’s something that, I’m biased toward catching, having a great tandem behind the plate should help us win a lot of games in itself and with those two guys, I’m going to lean on them a lot. I’m going to give them a lot of information as far as how to help lead this team, our pitching staff, and also hold the coaches accountable," he added.

"Because a high-functioning team, those catchers are involved in a lot of the process. You want to get their feedback. That’s something I’m going to really lean on throughout the course of the year.” 

“That’s something that, I’m biased toward catching, having a great tandem behind the plate should help us win a lot of games.”

Craig Albernaz plans to lean heavily on the tandem of Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo behind the plate for the 2026 season. https://t.co/nQLfXb7LUB pic.twitter.com/rBd2P5drZR

— Orioles on MASN (@masnOrioles) November 9, 2025

It will be fascinating to see how Albernaz allocates playing time behind the dish between Rutschman and Basallo next season.