Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.
Question: Could you envision the Orioles going to three catchers at some point next season? With Adley Rutschman, James McCann (if re-signed) and Samuel Basallo (when promoted) the Orioles could save wear and tear, increase both offense and defense while improving the team. Your thoughts? From: Bill Connor
Answer: Bill, I don’t know if James McCann will be re-signed. I hope he is, but we’ll have to see what his market is. I can’t imagine that Samuel Basallo will be with the Orioles until the latter stages of next season.
If McCann is re-signed, I could imagine it simply because the 20-year-old Basallo also plays first base and Rutschman is often used as a designated hitter.
Question: When the Ravens play a Thursday game that’s only on Amazon Prime, it is still shown in Baltimore and the other teams local TV stations. Why doesn’t MLB do the same thing when the Orioles game is on Apple or Roku? From: Vin
Answer: Vin, there are no local telecasts in pro football, and the NFL is committed to making sure that each of the home team’s games are available in their home market.
Apple or Roku is paying for exclusivity and to draw viewers to their product. I have my misgivings about streaming MLB games simply because there are so many local telecasts, and as you infer, you’re annoying home team fans who are already paying for MASN each month.