{"id":82106,"date":"2025-08-23T11:55:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T11:55:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=82106"},"modified":"2025-08-23T11:55:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T11:55:15","slug":"report-3-moves-mike-elias-must-make-to-revive-orioles-in-al-east-after-samuel-basallo-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=82106","title":{"rendered":"REPORT: 3 moves Mike Elias must make to revive Orioles in AL East after Samuel Basallo deal"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"relative z-10\">\n<div class=\"article-intro mb-4 text-black font-group-large md:font-group-normal lg:font-group-large\"><em>One future star is locked down in Baltimore. Now what?<\/em><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"mb-0 md:mb-9 relative md:mx-10 md:mb-9\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"overflow-hidden bg-lightGrey\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375\/c_fill,w_360,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01k396n2xkvts7vrzqh5.jpg 1x,  \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01k396n2xkvts7vrzqh5.jpg 2x, \n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375\/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01k396n2xkvts7vrzqh5.jpg 3x\" media=\"(max-width: 719px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01k396n2xkvts7vrzqh5.jpg 1x, \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375\/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01k396n2xkvts7vrzqh5.jpg 2x, \n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375\/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01k396n2xkvts7vrzqh5.jpg 3x\" media=\"(max-width: 1079px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375\/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01k396n2xkvts7vrzqh5.jpg 1x, \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375\/c_fill,w_2160,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01k396n2xkvts7vrzqh5.jpg 2x,\n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375\/c_fill,w_2160,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01k396n2xkvts7vrzqh5.jpg 3x\" media=\"(min-width: 1080px)\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full\" title=\"Houston Astros v Baltimore Orioles\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/229\/01k396n2xkvts7vrzqh5.jpg\" alt=\"Houston Astros v Baltimore Orioles\" width=\"6000\" height=\"3375\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex items-center gap-4 ml-1 pb-2 mt-4 md:m-3 text-darkGrey font-group-tiny\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center gap-4 ml-1 pb-2 mt-4 md:m-3 text-darkGrey font-group-tiny\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Houston Astros v Baltimore Orioles | Patrick Smith\/GettyImages<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"flex flex-wrap justify-center lg:justify-normal\">\n<div class=\"flex lg:mr-4 lg:w-[calc(70%-3em)] max-w-full\"><main class=\"min-w-0 flex-1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"viewablity-block\">\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Fourteen at bats was a big enough sample size for Mike Elias and the\u00a0Baltimore Orioles\u00a0to lock down top prospect Samuel Basallo on an 8-year, $67 million contract. Granted, he somehow has 5 RBI in those 14 at bats, so he&#8217;s on pace to smash Hank Aaron&#8217;s all-time RBI record by, like, his fifth year in the league.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Following Basallo&#8217;s extension, the morale in Baltimore has jumped up a little after a wholly disappointing 2025. Here&#8217;s how Mike Elias can continue to raise that morale and get the Birds back<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">1. Give Gunnar Henderson as much money as he wants<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-3\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">If 14 at-bats were enough to extend Samuel Basallo&#8230; you&#8217;d think a 20-plus WAR in under 500 career games would be enough for the Orioles&#8217; front office to write a blank check for Henderson. That hasn&#8217;t been the case yet, though, and although time is on the O&#8217;s side right now (Henderson isn&#8217;t a free agent until 2029) the best way to show fans and players that you&#8217;re bought in to the future\u00a0<em>as a team\u00a0<\/em>is<em>\u00a0<\/em>to pay your star players instead of haggling with them to save a few bucks.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Henderson&#8217;s slugging has taken a step back in 2025 (he hit 37 homers in 2024, down to 15 so far in 2025) but I&#8217;m extremely\u00a0<em>not<\/em> worried about his production declining until at least about 2038, and the planet will be engulfed in flames and the East coast will be underwater at that point so does it really matter what the payroll looks like?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">2. Listen to trade offers for Adley Rutschman<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">I purposefully didn&#8217;t say &#8220;trade Adley Rutschman,&#8221; because I refuse to fully abandon a guy who posted a 5.4 WAR rookie season as a catcher who OPS&#8217;d over .800 \u2014 and the Orioles shouldn&#8217;t be quick to ship him off, either.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">But with Basallo (a natural catcher who might end up playing first base) now in the mix, the Orioles would be silly not to at least listen to offers for Rutschman, whose production has dipped each of his four years in the league. If the league still values him as a future star backstop, then adding a haul of prospects and letting Basallo try to develop behind the plate would be the best way forward for this team.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">3. Pay a veteran pitcher (and take a swing on another)<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">The 2026 free agent pitching class won&#8217;t have many top-end aces outside of Framber Valdez (Freddy Peralta&#8217;s team option will keep him off the market) but there will be plenty of reliable rotation arms for hire, and the Orioles should pay one of them (Ranger Suarez comes to mind as a good fit) and take a flier on another who could quickly outperform whatever deal he gets this winter \u2014 Shane Bieber, do you like blue crab?<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-10\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Baltimore is No. 26 in ERA this year and there&#8217;s some reason to believe that number will be better in 2026&#8230; but Elias and the front office should not put all of their eggs in the prospect basket for next year&#8217;s rotation. The team has numerous pitchers who\u00a0<em>could<\/em>\u00a0be ready to pitch in the bigs next year and\u00a0<em>could\u00a0<\/em>be good enough to start consistently, but relying on rookies to make up essentially an entire rotation is a needlessly risky move. Go get some pitchers on the market and if any of the prospects produce, that&#8217;s a bonus.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">4 (bonus): Lifetime contract for Mr. Splash<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-12\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">The best way to keep fans bought in&#8230; is to spray them with water for three hours a night. Trust me, I say that from experience. I was unaware of the legend of Mr. Splash until I attended an Orioles game a few weeks ago and stumbled upon the Bird Bath by total accident. Of course, I was intrigued and took a seat there \u2014 and had the time of my life. Mr. Splash is a man of the people, and a two-hour rain delay did not stop fans from filling up his section and joyfully being sprayed by his expansive stache of water weaponry.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-13\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">The fan experience in Baltimore is top-tier&#8230; the on-field product is lacking behind a bit, but a few crafty roster moves this offseason could get them back into contention quicker than it seems.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/main><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One future star is locked down in Baltimore. Now what? Houston Astros v Baltimore Orioles | Patrick Smith\/GettyImages Fourteen at bats was a big enough sample size&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":82118,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>REPORT: 3 moves Mike Elias must make to revive Orioles in AL East after Samuel Basallo deal - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=82106\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"REPORT: 3 moves Mike Elias must make to revive Orioles in AL East after Samuel Basallo deal - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"One future star is locked down in Baltimore. 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