Chirinos joins O's with mentorship on the mind

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The central question to the Orioles in 2022 is when, exactly, will the likes of top prospect Adley Rutschman and others from the burgeoning farm behind him debut? For Rutschman, the path forward has appeared without much in the way of competition.

But some clarity came on Monday afternoon.

Baltimore and veteran catcher Robinson Chirinos agreed to a one-year deal, the club announced on the first day of full-squad Spring Training workouts, providing a veteran presence to back up Rutschman (should he make the Opening Day roster) or to take the lead role until the prospect does get called up. The contract, which was first reported by ESPN on Saturday evening, is worth $900,000, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.

The move also brings the 40-man roster to full capacity, and Chirinos serves as the lone catcher in the group. That is assuredly to change by the end of Spring Training. Whether Chirinos is joined by Rutschman or another candidate is yet to be determined.

“When you play as long as Robinson has, you're doing something right,” manager Brandon Hyde said on Tuesday. “And also, you’re not just a good player, but you're also really good in the clubhouse. It's really, really easy to see right now already, how influential he's going to be just because of his experience. Just a great guy, willing to lend a hand with anything. Really excited to have him with us.”

No, signing Chirinos was not done solely for Rutschman’s sake. The Orioles exited the lockout with a dearth of Major League-ready catching in their system, after they cut ties with Pedro Severino and Austin Wynns in November. Chirinos, 37, now provides an experienced option, formerly a longtime backstop for the Rangers who spent last season with the Cubs. In any event, with 602 career games caught, he stands to serve as Rutschman’s sage through what’s lining up to be a highly anticipated rookie season.

“It wasn’t mentioned to me, but I figured that was something they have in the back of their mind,” Chirinos said of the expectation to mentor Rutschman. “That’s something that’s on me -- I love to help people and I think I can help people around me here and make them better. That’s what my dad [taught] me when I was a kid, so that’s what I’ve been doing since I was a little boy.”

Depending on Rutschman’s outlook come the end of Spring Training, Chirinos could very well serve as the O’s starting catcher on Opening Day. Also signed this offseason were Jacob Nottingham and Anthony Bemboom, each of whom is competing for a roster spot should Rutschman begin the year in the Minors, or they will provide catching depth for down the road. Neither is on the 40-man roster.

One factor playing to Rutschman’s favor? Along with his pedigree, baked into the newest Collective Bargaining Agreement was an incentive for teams to call up their top prospects for Opening Day; clubs can earn Draft picks if such a prospect finishes in the top three in the Rookie of the Year voting or top five in MVP/Cy Young voting. Rutschman, the top prospect in baseball, could certainly fill such a role.

How much does Chirinos know about the youngster?

“Not much,” he admitted. “I know he's a really talented player. I'm excited to go out and practice with him and see what he's about and see if I can help him get better.”