2025 marks PressBox’s ninth annual Best Of edition celebrating the top people, performances and moments of the year.
Best Extension
A common discussion point among Orioles fans in recent years has been the lack of extensions awarded to core players, but that conversation changed when the club signed Samuel Basallo to an eight-year deal in August that guarantees the catcher $67 million.
It marked the first long-term extension of the Mike Elias era and positions Basallo as a vital piece of the puzzle for the Orioles moving forward. Basallo, 21, originally signed with the Orioles out of the Dominican Republic in 2021 and proceeded to hit .283/.366/.498 across five minor league seasons.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles
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