The Orioles have signed catcher David Banuelos to a new minor league contract, which includes an invitation to their major league Spring Training camp, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.
Banuelos was eligible for minor league free agency, but this contract guarantees his place in the Orioles organization for a second year. After joining the team last winter, he made his Major League debut as a pinch-hitter during Baltimore’s 11-3 victory over the Twins on April 16. That game was his only MLB appearance this season, and he played just 22 games with Triple-A Norfolk.
His limited playing time was largely due to his role as a regular member of the Orioles’ taxi squad, which the team used to have an emergency catcher available behind Adley Rutschman and James McCann. With Rutschman frequently starting either as a catcher or DH, the Orioles needed extra depth in case of an injury to either of their primary catchers. Remarkably, both Rutschman and McCann managed to stay healthy, especially McCann, who was hit in the face by a pitch on July 29.
Throughout the season, Banuelos faced roster uncertainty, as he was designated for assignment and removed from the 40-man roster on three different occasions. After his first outright assignment, he gained the right to reject any future assignments in favor of free agency, but he chose to stay with Baltimore after clearing waivers on the subsequent occasions.
Despite having only a brief stint in the majors, Banuelos can officially label himself a big leaguer after seven seasons in professional baseball. A fifth-round draft pick by the Mariners in 2017, he spent just one year in Seattle’s system before being traded to the Twins, where he played from 2018 to 2023. Over his minor league career, Banuelos has recorded a .216/.283/.354 batting line across 1,265 plate appearances.
