The Baltimore Orioles and catcher Sam Huff are doing this dance again. Huff cleared waivers and elected free agency, then turned around and re-signed with the organization on a minor league contract. He’s headed back to Triple-A Norfolk. This is the third time the two sides have gone through this routine in 2026.
Baltimore originally signed Huff to a minor league deal in January. Twice this season, when Adley Rutschman went down with injuries, the Orioles called Huff up to fill the backup catcher spot. The problem is Huff is out of minor league options, so every time Rutschman came off the injured list, the team had to designate Huff for assignment. Each time, he cleared waivers, chose free agency, and then re-signed with Baltimore. It’s a revolving door of paperwork.
Right now, the Orioles have Rutschman and top prospect Samuel Basallo as their big league catching tandem. That happened after Baltimore designated Chadwick Tromp for assignment recently. Tromp is still in DFA limbo, so Huff’s return gives the club some experienced depth at Norfolk without committing a 40-man roster spot.
What Huff Has Done This Season
In two stints with the Orioles this year, Huff played nine games and went 4-for-23. Two singles and two doubles. Over 23 plate appearances, he’s slashing .174/.174/.261 with 11 strikeouts and no walks. That’s a rough line, no way around it. At Triple-A Norfolk, he’s hit .169/.275/.359 with a 37% strikeout rate across 102 plate appearances. The 2026 season has not been kind to him statistically.
But Huff has a longer track record that suggests he’s better than this. Over 295 major league plate appearances across parts of six seasons, he’s slashed .241/.292/.416. At Triple-A, he’s a .253/.333/.467 hitter with 60 home runs. So the numbers this year look like an outlier, not who he is.
Defensive Value Still There
Huff’s defense is where he earns his money. Framing has consistently graded out well, and he’s improved at controlling the running game. His minor league caught-stealing rate sits at 30%, and in the majors it’s 21%. During his short time with Baltimore this season, he threw out two of four runners trying to steal. Blocking has been a weaker area, but the overall defensive package is solid enough to keep teams interested.
For now, Huff stays in the organization as emergency depth. If Rutschman or Basallo get banged up, he’s the next guy up. And if he gets designated again, well, everyone knows how this one ends.
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