Could Orioles' Pete Alonso signing open door for Angels to land All Star catcher?

The Angels had a relatively quiet Winter Meetings, as Perry Minasian’s only move was trading for Vaughn Grissom, a former top prospect for Atlanta that Minasian had a hand in drafting during his time with the organization. Still, the Angels avoided making any catastrophic signings or trades, so all in all they live to fight another day. 

One of the biggest moves of the Winter Meetings (and definitely the most surprising) was the Baltimore Orioles swooping in to steal Pete Alonso from The Big Apple, reportedly agreeing to a five-year, $155 million deal with the first baseman. After acquiring Taylor Ward from the Angels, the Orioles now have a claim as the best offensive lineup in baseball. Their rotation remains a huge question mark, but this team is going to slug with the best of them in 2026 and beyond. However, the deal with Alonso could very well open a door for the Angels to nab an elite catcher from the Orioles. 

Angels must check in on Orioles’ Adley Rutschman

Earlier this year, during the 2025 season, the Orioles gave their top prospect Samuel Basallo an extension to ensure he stays in Baltimore through the prime of his career. Questions immediately began to rise considering Basallo is primarily a catcher who can handle first base as well. Adley Rutschman, former MVP candidate, has largely been considered the long term option at catcher for the Orioles. Catcher hungry teams began to wonder if Rutschman became available with Basallo’s signing, but no moves were made and rumors were shut down quick. The Alonso signing, however, may re-open those doors. 

The idea between the Basallo and Rutschman pairing was that on days where Rutschman is catching, Basillo can play first base. When Rutschman needs a day off defensively, he’ll DH while Basillo heads on down behind home plate. With Alonso, those first base games are gone with Basallo unless they want to sacrifice their DH position for him. While Basallo is a good offensive player for a catcher, his production does not quite keep up with the average rate of designated hitters around the big leagues. 

The Alonso-Rutschman-Basallo trio could potentially work as a musical chairs of maneuvering their positions. However, the Orioles want to contend, and their rotation needs reinforcements desperately. The Angels don't offer any true aces, but Yusei Kikuchi and Caden Dana is a strong start for any trade packages. They'd need to add more, surely, but the Orioles and Angels have a working relationship this offseason (although the Orioles may not want to do business with the Halos after the praise Perry Minasian recieved for the Taylor Ward-Grayson Rodriguez deal).

Odds are, the Orioles do not want to move Rutschman. However, after Logan O'Hoppe's down season in 2025, they'd be silly not to at least dial Baltimore's line. Minasian has pulled off miracle trades before, and he'll surely be trying to add an elite catcher if the opportunity presents itself.