What's up with Wells, Cano, Beavers and Henderson?

The schedule delivers another day game after a night game. And maybe another round of Samuel Basallo stories.

Just playing the odds here.

Basallo has been the center of attention for his major league promotion, early RBI binge, agreement on the most lucrative contract extension for a pre-arbitration catcher and yesterday’s press conference to talk about it.

“Wonderful day for us,” said executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, “and we look forward to working with Sam for a very, very long time, and hopefully leading us to much success and many championships during his time here.”

Maybe in 2026.

What can the kid do today that leads the media back to him?

Here are some other questions to add to the discussion this morning. Feel free to yell out the answers.

Is Tyler Wells a starter or a reliever next season?

We found out yesterday that Wells will join the rotation after completing his injury rehab assignment. He starts Wednesday with Triple-A Norfolk in Gwinnett and comes back to the Orioles.

Meanwhile, the debate continues regarding his long-term role. He closed as a Rule 5 rookie and has made 49 relief appearances and 46 starts in his four seasons.

“We’re having the same discussions,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino. “Our discussions aren’t any different. It’s, is he a starter or is he a reliever? I do think there is some validity in 2025 to build up some innings, so if he starts this year and he can accrue 35-40 innings, whatever it may be, with however many starts he would get, that would probably lend itself well to innings next year in 2026.

“He’s getting built up right now. We’ll kind of see where it goes, but loosely there are plans in place. Things change, it’s hard to commit to stuff too quick, but that’s kind of our thought process right now.”

How Wells is used influences the club’s offseason plans. One less starter or reliever on the shopping list.

Can the Orioles fix Yennier Cano?

The 2023 All-Star didn’t put up the same numbers in 2024 but had a decent season with a 3.15 ERA in 70 appearances and 65 strikeouts in 60 innings to match the previous year’s total. But the Orioles optioned him earlier this season and his ERA increased to 5.56 on Friday after he was charged with one of the three runs scored on Christian Walker’s homer in the fifth.

Cano had allowed 10 runs in his last nine appearances over 7 2/3 innings. He’s walked a batter in six consecutive outings.

Walker bats from the right side, but Cano’s biggest issue is the .329/.407/.571 line versus left-handers.

“I think one of the big things we’ve talked about is lefties, but the other thing has to be, probably, some of the velo,” Mansolino said after Friday’s loss. “Talked with some of the pitching guys tonight, looks a little bit down right there, so is that what it is? I’m not sure. Frenchy (pitching coach Drew French) kind of said it best: He’s thrown 1,000 sinkers this year and five of them have been left up in the zone, and that was one of them. Walker took advantage of it.

“I feel for him, I feel for the team right there. We’re trying to stay in that thing the best we can, and it didn’t work out.”

The Orioles could stick with Cano and hope that they regain the confidence in him needed for 2026, or option him again after Albert Suárez returns. Suárez is going to be used in bulk relief.

“We have so much faith in him,” Mansolino said of Cano. “The people who have been here over the years, we’ve got a lot of faith in him. We’ve seen him so good.”

Should Dylan Beavers move up in the order?

If it ain’t broke …

But also, he’s raking.

Beavers batted eighth again last night and reached on an error, singled and doubled. He’s gotten on base 15 times in seven games.

The error doesn’t count. He doesn’t need it.

Fifteen in seven is an Orioles record, breaking the previous mark of 13 times shared by Hyun Soo Kim in 2016, Howie Clark in 2002, Pete Stanicek in 1987 and Glenn Gulliver in 1982.

Beavers has hit sixth once, seventh twice and eighth four times. That’s a lot of production for such a low spot.

Will Gunnar Henderson ever make another error?

Don’t jinx it.

Henderson hasn’t been charged since committing two on June 8. He’s played 528 2/3 innings of defense during the streak.

The number of clean chances increased last night to 248. He’s ranging far to his left and right, charging grounders, making clean pickups on slow bouncers. Using the glove and his bare hand. Planting his feet or throwing on the run across his body. The result is still an out.

“I feel like, for me, the attention behind the work that I’ve put in before the game has really helped me leading up into the game,” he said. “I’ve been really locking in on just my prep work and how I treat ground balls in BP and stuff. And I feel like with that kind of mindset of treating them like they’re the last out of the World Series and really being on top of my footwork has really helped me set myself up for success in the game.”