The Orioles have signed catcher David Banuelos to a new minor league contract, according to a report by MASNSports.com’s Roch Kubatko (X link). The agreement includes an invitation to join Baltimore’s major league Spring Training camp.
Despite being eligible for minor league free agency, Banuelos has opted to stay with the Orioles for a second year. Last winter, Banuelos signed a minor league deal with the Orioles and made his Major League debut with a pinch-hit appearance in Baltimore’s 11-3 victory over the Twins on April 16. Unfortunately, that was Banuelos’ only MLB appearance of the season, as he played in just 22 games for Triple-A Norfolk.
Due to his role as a member of the Orioles’ taxi squad, Banuelos did not see much playing time. The Orioles wanted him as an emergency catcher to support Adley Rutschman and James McCann. With Rutschmann playing regularly as a catcher or designated hitter, the Orioles needed extra depth in case of injuries to their main catchers. This limited Banuelos’ playing time, as both Rutschman and McCann managed to avoid the injured list during the season.
Throughout the season, Banuelos faced roster uncertainty, as the Orioles designated him for assignment and outrighted him off the 40-man roster on three different occasions. After the first outright assignment, Banuelos had the option to reject future assignments and become a free agent. However, he chose to remain with the Orioles after clearing waivers the next two times.
Despite his limited time in the big leagues, Banuelos can now officially consider himself a Major Leaguer after seven seasons as a professional player. Originally selected in the fifth round of the 2017 draft by the Mariners, Banuelos spent his first season in Seattle’s organization before being traded to the Twins. He played in Minnesota’s farm system from 2018-23 and holds a career minor league batting line of .216/.283/.354 over 1265 plate appearances.
