Orioles expected to sign Dominican C Samuel Basallo

[Obando]

Per Ben Badler’s latest Baseball America 2020-2021 J2 International top 40 prospects list, the Orioles are expected to sign a 15-year-old catcher from the Dominican named Samuel Basallo for a bonus of near $1.5M.  Basallo, who turns 16 on August 13, is ranked #31 on the top 40 list.  He apparently was connected with the Yankees previously, but now he’s expected to sign with the Orioles.  This is great news, especially on top of the expectation that we will also sign top SS prospect Maikol Hernandez of Venezuela, who is ranked #35 on this list.  The $1.5M bonus for Basallo would be by far the most we’ve given a J2 prospect, not only since Elias became GM, but possibly in the history of the Orioles.  If this news doesn’t make it clear that the Orioles are a serious player in Latin America now, I don’t know what will.  I am very excited to say the least!

[Greg Pappas]

17 minutes ago, Obando said:

Per Ben Badler’s latest Baseball America 2020-2021 J2 International top 40 prospects list, the Orioles are expected to sign a 15-year-old catcher from the Dominican named Samuel Basallo for a bonus of near $1.5M.  Basallo, who turns 16 on August 13, is ranked #31 on the top 40 list.  He apparently was connected with the Yankees previously, but now he’s expected to sign with the Orioles.  This is great news, especially on top of the expectation that we will also sign top SS prospect Maikol Hernandez of Venezuela, who is ranked #35 on this list.  The $1.5M bonus for Basallo would be by far the most we’ve given a J2 prospect, not only since Elias became GM, but possibly in the history of the Orioles.  If this news doesn’t make it clear that the Orioles are a serious player in Latin America now, I don’t know what will.  I am very excited to say the least!

Very nice to see this.  It's really great to watch as the new regime works toward their vision of making this organization among the best in the business in all aspects... domestic, international, analytically, coaching... etc.

[Moose Milligan]

Good news.  Keep it up, Elias!

[Yardball85]

1 hour ago, Obando said:

Per Ben Badler’s latest Baseball America 2020-2021 J2 International top 40 prospects list, the Orioles are expected to sign a 15-year-old catcher from the Dominican named Samuel Basallo for a bonus of near $1.5M.  Basallo, who turns 16 on August 13, is ranked #31 on the top 40 list.  He apparently was connected with the Yankees previously, but now he’s expected to sign with the Orioles.  This is great news, especially on top of the expectation that we will also sign top SS prospect Maikol Hernandez of Venezuela, who is ranked #35 on this list.  The $1.5M bonus for Basallo would be by far the most we’ve given a J2 prospect, not only since Elias became GM, but possibly in the history of the Orioles.  If this news doesn’t make it clear that the Orioles are a serious player in Latin America now, I don’t know what will.  I am very excited to say the least!

Starting C when Rutschmann departs as a FA? 

[Legend_Of_Joey]

15 minutes ago, Yardball85 said:

Starting C when Rutschmann departs as a FA? 

Or when Rutschman ends up worse than Sisco. 

[Enjoy Terror]

 

[spiritof66]

5 hours ago, Yardball85 said:

Starting C when Rutschmann departs as a FA? 

One of them can be moved to 1B or DH, or maybe LF in a pinch. Plenty of opportunities at those spots, even with the next Chris Davis extension. 

[scOtt]

42 minutes ago, spiritof66 said:

One of them can be moved to 1B or DH, or maybe LF in a pinch. Plenty of opportunities at those spots, even with the next Chris Davis extension. 

Sorry, not railing against you personally Spirit...

F that! We have enough 1B/DH/maybe LF "prospects"!

Not that this Basallo couldn't be a nice backup to Rutschman on a future ML team(s). But I am GD sick of 50 "hitters" who can play first, DH, maybe LF. Make Basallo a catcher, or cut him loose! Get a 2Bman, not someone who can "fill in". Same for EVERY other position. Build the minors so that you have a REAL 2Bman at every position. Or most of them at least. 2B, SS, 3B, C, CF... 1B, left and right can be marginal guys who can hit. Put the best arm in RF. DH is NEVER a set position!!! It's a REST DAY for one of your regulars (or backups.)

[spiritof66]

11 minutes ago, scOtt said:

Sorry, not railing against you personally Spirit...

F that! We have enough 1B/DH/maybe LF "prospects"!

Not that this Basallo couldn't be a nice backup to Rutschman on a future ML team(s). But I am GD sick of 50 "hitters" who can play first, DH, maybe LF. Make Basallo a catcher, or cut him loose! Get a 2Bman, not someone who can "fill in". Same for EVERY other position. Build the minors so that you have a REAL 2Bman at every position. Or most of them at least. 2B, SS, 3B, C, CF... 1B, left and right can be marginal guys who can hit. Put the best arm in RF. DH is NEVER a set position!!! It's a REST DAY for one of your regulars (or backups.)

That was my point, but I guess my ability to express it ironically didn't work.

It doesn't seem to matter where our position-player prospects start out. By the time they get to AA, we hear that they're missing some vital ability -- speed, arm strength, quickness, agility -- that disables them from playing at the ML level the IF (or CF), or C in Sisco's case, and adds them to the 1B/DH/marginal LF collection. (Rutschman ends up in a similar place, sort of, by a different route: he can catch just fine, we think, but we want him to get time at 1B or DH to keep his bat in the lineup and reduce wear and tear.) 

I guess the silver lining is that some of these guys don't hit as much we'd hope anyway, so with them the inability to find a position that they can play adequately is not such a big loss.

 

[TommyPickles]

Great news! Also, this kid is 15. He's seven years younger than AR.  Don't think we need to start panicking about a logjam at catcher quite yet...

[Enjoy Terror]

7 hours ago, TommyPickles said:

Great news! Also, this kid is 15. He's seven years younger than AR.  Don't think we need to start panicking about a logjam at catcher quite yet...

All I heard was you saying that AR is over the hill

[Moose Milligan]

19 hours ago, spiritof66 said:

It doesn't seem to matter where our position-player prospects start out. By the time they get to AA, we hear that they're missing some vital ability -- speed, arm strength, quickness, agility -- that disables them from playing at the ML level the IF (or CF), or C in Sisco's case, and adds them to the 1B/DH/marginal LF collection. (Rutschman ends up in a similar place, sort of, by a different route: he can catch just fine, we think, but we want him to get time at 1B or DH to keep his bat in the lineup and reduce wear and tear.) 

I guess the silver lining is that some of these guys don't hit as much we'd hope anyway, so with them the inability to find a position that they can play adequately is not such a big loss.

 

Just goes to show how hard drafting and developing is.  But most guys have a deficiency or two.  A true 5 tool player is an exceptionally rare thing.  Call it a 10 ability player, adding in things you mentioned like agility, quickness, etc, in addition to the 5 tools that scouts look for...it's still rare.

 

[Chavez Ravine]

5 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

Just goes to show how hard drafting and developing is.  But most guys have a deficiency or two.  A true 5 tool player is an exceptionally rare thing.  Call it a 10 ability player, adding in things you mentioned like agility, quickness, etc, in addition to the 5 tools that scouts look for...it's still rare.

 

Just keep chucking talent into the firebox and hope that coaching, video, personality tests, wearable tech, organizational philosophy, and the mysteries of the universe  squirt out some rare nuggets at a reasonable pace.

[backwardsk]

My Dominican contact said this guy has a lot of Sal Fasano in his game.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, backwardsk said:

My Dominican contact said this guy has a lot of Sal Fasano in his game.

Is your Dominican contact Sal Fasano on vacation in the Dominican?