Orioles’ Catching Depth Search Comes With a Real Workload Question

Baltimore’s reported interest in another catcher puts the focus on playing time, Carlos Narváez’s bat and the difference between roster depth and a dependable second option.

The Orioles’ catching question reaches beyond who starts on Opening Day. They need a plan for the games Samuel Basallo does not catch, and a credible alternative if that plan needs to change.

In his November 13 offseason update, MASN’s Roch Kubatko reports that Baltimore would like to add another catcher for depth. He also writes that Mike Elias remains positive about Carlos Narváez and expects better hitting from him, while the second catcher’s assignment is expected to involve considerably more than one start a week. That describes an area to strengthen, not a completed acquisition.

Two different views of Narváez’s season

MLB’s official 2026 batting record gives the offensive concern a clear shape. Across Boston and Baltimore, Narváez hit .161 with a .241 on-base percentage and .226 slugging percentage in 285 plate appearances. He had 40 hits, including seven doubles and three home runs.

His Baltimore portion was smaller and rougher: eight hits in 77 at-bats, a .104 average, with a .198 on-base percentage and .117 slugging percentage over 88 plate appearances. None of his three home runs came with the Orioles.

Those two records answer different questions. The full season provides more evidence than the Baltimore sample alone. The Orioles portion describes what the club received after he joined them. Neither is a forecast of his next season, and a hoped-for improvement still needs a baseball explanation and results.

For Baltimore, the practical issue is how much offense it can reasonably expect across the catching schedule. A second catcher who starts regularly has more opportunities to affect the lineup than one used only occasionally. The standard should reflect the actual job.

Catching starts are a separate workload

The official fielding splits list Narváez with 83 catching starts and 730⅔ innings behind the plate across the two clubs. For Baltimore, he made 27 catching starts and worked 238⅔ innings at the position. Basallo’s Orioles record lists 60 catching starts and 517 innings.

Basallo also had 30 starts at designated hitter and four at first base. Those assignments matter when discussing his overall role: a game in which he bats does not necessarily mean he caught. Planning his place in the lineup and planning the catching workload are related tasks, but they are not interchangeable.

These are past usage totals, not a proposed 2027 split. They show why the conversation should specify catching starts rather than relying on total appearances or a vague promise that a player will be in the lineup.

Define what an addition must provide

The current official 40-man roster lists Basallo, Narváez and Zach Morgan at catcher. That establishes who is listed at the position today; it does not settle the major-league assignment or the readiness of every option.

Our view: an addition should make the catching plan more dependable in a clearly identified way. That might mean a stronger offensive alternative, a catcher trusted for a substantial stretch of starts, or depth that can cover an absence without forcing a rushed decision. Those are different purposes, and a familiar name alone would not demonstrate that any of them has been met.

The club should evaluate receiving, blocking, throwing and work with pitchers alongside the bat. Batting averages and innings totals cannot settle those defensive questions. They can, however, keep the offensive baseline and past workload visible while that assessment takes place.

Baltimore’s rotation needs remain part of the larger offseason. Catching depth deserves its own answer: a realistic division of work, an offensive expectation supported by evidence and another usable choice when circumstances change.

Sources and credits

Research cutoff: November 13, 2026, 2:03 p.m. Eastern. Reporting: Roch Kubatko, MASN, November 13, linked above. Official MLB records: Narváez batting, Narváez fielding, Basallo fielding and position starts, and the current roster linked above. Recommendations are Birdland Today’s analysis.

Photograph: Carlos Narváez in Orioles catching gear at Yankee Stadium, September 25, 2026. J. Passepartout, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for display; photo adaptations retain that license. Archival image.