Orioles Off-season Shocker: Orioles May Only Extend One Young Star Before Free Agency
Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson are the future of the Baltimore Orioles organization, giving the ballclub two players they should be able to rely on for a long time.
Unfortunately, while them being as elite as they are is always a positive, Rutschman and Henderson will be expensive one day.
Henderson could be looking at one of the most expensive contracts in MLB history one day. He doesn’t hit free agency until he’s 28 years old, so there’s time before that. But it’s something the Orioles will have to consider.
Would extending him now be the better plan? If things go as they have, Henderson will only be more expensive by then.
Rutschman won’t be cheap, either, but catchers often don’t have the same value as shortstops. He can swing it at a high level when he’s at his best, but Henderson getting a bigger deal seems probable for now.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote about the possibility of extending both players before they are eligible for free agency, saying that it might be possible for Rutschman, while Henderson will likely want to hit free agency.
“The Orioles’ best player, All-Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson, is under club control for four more seasons. While an extension for catcher Adley Rutschman might be possible, Henderson is represented by Scott Boras, who generally prefers his clients – like Soto – to establish their values in free agency. Henderson would hit the open market entering his age 28 season.”
