The Baltimore Orioles, riding some recent momentum towards the All-Star break, suddenly find their catcher squad in a difficult conundrum.

Star backstop Adley Rutschman found himself on the injured list for the first time in his career on Saturday with a left oblique strain.

The next day, backup catcher Maverick Handley collided with New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. during a close play at home plate.

While Handley hasn’t officially hit the IL, Orioles manager Tony Mansolino said the team would be monitoring his health closely over the next day.

Gary Sanchez would become the team’s only catching option if Handley is out for a period of time.

The team has two options on the table: Call up the obvious blooming prospect or hit the free agency market for a temporary fix.

The State of the Current Orioles Catcher Lineup and Options Moving Forward

Gary Sanchez was, at one point, a reliable catcher for the New York Yankees. He was on a Hall of Fame trajectory very early on in his career, displaying fantastic power, earning two All-Star nods, and even finishing runner-up in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2016.

He’s not the same player anymore. In 2024, Sanchez hit .220/.306/.699 with the Milwaukee Brewers, slugging only 11 home runs in 245 at-bats. Subsequently, his once-great defensive arm seems to be slipping, along with his ability to block pitches in the dirt. The 32-year-old still has some good metrics, but his days in the majors are limited.

Elsewhere, Chadwick Tromp‘s numbers haven’t been good either. The veteran 30-year-old minor leaguer is slugging a .250/.330/.700 slash line with only five extra-base hits in 103 plate appearances. It’s a far cry from his over-.900 OPS season in 2019 in the Cincinnati Reds farm system.

The two are not expected to come anywhere close to Rutschman’s offensive or defensive numbers, despite the All-Star catcher’s slump. What options does the team have?

1) Samuel Basallo

2025 Stats (Triple-A): 166 ABs; .271/.378/.968; 8 doubles; 15 HR; 34 RBI; 28 BB to 46 K

There’s a reason that Orioles farmhand Samuel Basallo is the number 15 overall prospect in baseball and the second-best catcher prospect. When the 20-year-old is in a groove, he’s the best hitter at the Triple-A level, showcasing freakish power and run-scoring abilities. After suffering a down year in 2024, he’s not only returned to 2023 form, but he might eclipse some of those stats.

On a surface level, Basallo needed only 48 games to hit 15 home runs, nearly matching his 19 home runs hit in 127 games last year. At the same time, his walk rate is increasing and his slugging percentage is at a career high. His contact rate appears to be transferring to raw power, but that’s not really a bad thing.

In the month of June alone, the 20-year-old prospect hit .325/.435/1.157 over 54 at-bats with six home runs. In fact, he has more RBI (14) than strikeouts (13) this month. Over the last two months, Basallo slugged 12 home runs and eight doubles.

Per his scouting report, the 20-year-old’s hitting grade did go down a bit, but his power remains there both in terms of gap and raw. Even his defense appears to be improving, putting his subpar debut at Triple-A last year behind him.

It’s absolutely time for Basallo to get his shot, and his increasing metrics prove that. His raw power is beginning to really form, while his contact numbers begin to rebound. The longer he’s passed over for opportunities, the worse it will be for his development.

2) Austin Barnes

2024 Stats: 140 ABs; .264/.331/.638; 3 doubles; 1 HR; 11 RBI; 14 BB to 36 K

If the team wants to keep Basallo in the minors, which at this point makes little sense, adding Austin Barnes might be an “okay” temporary fill for the catcher position. His career stats don’t jump off the page, but he can give you some production without going too far backwards.

The problem with Barnes is that he’s very volatile when it comes to performance. In 2022, Barnes had an OPS over .700, before crashing below .500 in 2023. He does provide good defense, but most of his metrics are uninspiring. Don’t expect him to stay for long unless Rutschman’s recovery hits a setback or Basallo slumps.

3) Yan Gomes

2024 Stats: 91 ABs; .154/.179/.421; 2 doubles; 2 HR; 7 RBI; 2 BB to 36 K

This is the least likely of the three, but if the Orioles want to remain cheap, this is the best option at the catcher position to save a little cash. Yan Gomes was good at one point, but he isn’t anymore. He can still play and wants to do so, but again, it’s only based on whether the team wants to remain cheap.

Gomes’ downside is that his strikeout rate ballooned in the short time he played for the Chicago Cubs in 2024. He would absolutely be a short-term investment until Rutschman gets back from the injured list.