Recent Orioles' extension opens up opportunity for Angels to land superstar catcher

The Angels along with every MLB fan and front office received some league-changing news on Friday, when the Baltimore Orioles agreed to a contract extension with minor league catching prospect Samuel Basallo. The eight-year extension signals a clear belief in Basallo from the Orioles, and puts their star catcher Adley Rutschman’s future in doubt. 

And with that, the Angels have a real opportunity to add a legitimate star to their roster this off season. 

Two seasons ago, the idea of the Orioles ever trading Adley Rutschman seemed insane. He was arguably the best catcher in the big leagues from his rookie season on, and the Orioles’ team success was directly tied to his ascension. Now, his future remains murky at best in Baltimore. 

The Angels went through their own disappointing season behind home plate this year. After an encouraging start to his career, Logan O’Hoppe has struggled in virtually every aspect of the game during the 2025 season. His defense has slipped as he has flip flopped stances all season. And while he has hit a decent amount of home runs, his overall offensive game has been rather atrocious. After posting 2.2 WAR last season (per FanGraphs), he has been worth -0.4 WAR in 2025. It has become clear that unless drastic changes are made (such as sending him down to the minor leagues), O’Hoppe’s development has stalled, putting his future in the big leagues in jeopardy. 

And thus, Rutschman provides a chance for the Angels to quickly pivot this offseason. While his production has dipped each season (his WAR has gone from 5.4 to 4.3 to 3.4 to 1.7 so far in 2025), he is still a largely productive catcher, and a far better defensive player than O’Hoppe.

If the Angels are serious about contending in the coming years, there’s no better trade option than Rutschman. If we assume the Angels want to deal O’Hoppe in the deal, the idea of adding a Caden Dana-tier prospect or two makes the idea feasible. With the Orioles likely hoping to contend in the next years, adding on a veteran like Taylor Ward and/or Travis d’Arnaud to serve as a backup to Basillo makes sense. 

There is also the option for the Orioles to move Rutschman to a new position. While his bat might not play at first base, moving the former No. 1 overall selection to the hot corner alongside superstar shortstop Gunnar Henderson could be intriguing. 

But if the Orioles do put Rutschman on the market, Perry Minasian should be one of the first teams dialing the phones.

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