Mike Elias sets record straight on Orioles' Adley Rutschman-Samuel Basallo situation

Baltimore Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias addressed his current catcher situation.

Nov 4, 2025; Baltimore, MD, USA; President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias introduces Craig Albernaz as the Baltimore Orioles new Manager at Warehouse Bar. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have made it clear that, despite opposing teams showing interest in acquiring Adley Rutschman via trade, they have no interest or intention in starting their star catcher.

The only reason that the Orioles might have considered moving Rutschman was because of Samuel Basallo's arrival and emergence on the big league squad. The team's former No. 1 prospect will now be a staple on Baltimore's roster for years to come, given that he signed an eight-year, $67 million contract extension shortly after making his MLB debut in August.

Read more: Orioles emerge as surprise 'dark-horse suitor' for star hitter

Since Basallo and Rutschman both play catcher, this made some assume that the Orioles might be inclined to trade Rutschman to open up space for Basallo behind the dish and address other holes on their roster.

Sep 15, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring against the Chicago White Sox during the third inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

However, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz is clearly excited about having both guys on his squad, as he said, "Having a great tandem behind the plate should help us win a lot of games in itself and with those two guys... That’s something I’m going to really lean on throughout the course of the year," per a November 9 article from MASN's Roch Kubatko.

Mike Elias Addresses Adley Rutschman-Samuel Basallo Situation

Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias also spoke on having Rutschman and Basallo rostered during the general manager meetings in Las Vegas last week.

“As we’re going into it now, [Basallo] is kind of the second catcher on the team. So if we’re talking full health, I think Adley will be back there as much as he and we are willing to do that. Obviously, that’s not seven days a week. If the number’s four or five or whatever, I don’t know. But Adley’s our primary guy. I thought Sam caught really well after his callup, and he’s also a really good first baseman and we think the bat’s going to really come on," Elias said, per a November 17 article from Jake Rill of MLB.com.

Adley Rutschman soaking it all in when he took the field for the first time as a big leaguer will always be awesome. pic.twitter.com/ojZuFGAquq

— Baseball’s Greatest Moments (@BBGreatMoments) October 3, 2025

"So how that all plays out over the next few years, I can’t predict. But as we’re going into the season for planning, we’re penciling Sam in as the No. 2 catcher. But he’s going to hopefully get a lot of at-bats, more at-bats than a No. 2 catcher would because of the catching innings, the first-base innings and the DH innings," Elias added.

There's still a lot that can happen between now and Opening Day, not to mention throughout the 2026 season. But for now, the Orioles are quite clear about how this catcher situation will play out.