Things have already gotten underway this offseason for the Baltimore Orioles.
With changes anticipated to be made throughout the organization, Mike Elias and Brandon Hyde wasted little time when it was revealed three coaches would not be back in 2025 that was then followed by the other half of their co-hitting coaching duo also not returning.
Roster moves largely won’t occur until the World Series is finished, so that gives the Orioles more time to plan how they might replace two of their star players if they aren’t able to re-sign them.
But, Baltimore was able to make one move, signing their catcher David Banuelos to a minor league deal after he could have hit the open market.
It’s not a headlining deal by any means considering the 28-year-old only has only appeared in one MLB game during his career that came this past season with the Orioles, however, this does signal one of their current catchers might be on the way out.
Fan favorite James McCann is set to hit free agency this winter, and based on the current situation Baltimore has at that position, there is a chance he won’t return.
Acquired from the New York Mets back in December 2022, the one-time All-Star was able to rejuvenate his career with the Orioles by posting an OPS+ of 87 that was 17 points better than his two-year tenure with the Mets.
The veteran is a very solid backup catcher, and for teams around the league looking to bring in an established role player behind the plate, McCann could fit the bill.
Signing Banuelos so early in the process signals his time with the organization might come to an end.
Couple that with the fact their superstar prospect Samuel Basallo reached Triple-A last season and is knocking on the door to make his Major League debut maybe as early as this upcoming year, the writing seems to be on the wall that McCann will be playing baseball elsewhere in 2025.
Of course, Mike Elias and his front office could still re-sign him, but based on what his new price tag might be, they could look to allocate resources to other positions, especially in their starting rotation and outfield.
