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The Baltimore Orioles just extended one of their pitchers in Shane Baz to a five-year, $68 million extension, but have yet to extend their franchise star: Gunnar Henderson. Henderson still has two years of arbitration left, but afterwards, will probably receive a contract of more than $400 million.
With that in mind, FanSided’s Christopher Kline believes if the O’s want to keep their franchise star, they are going to have to give him a mega deal. He predicts Baltimore will re-sign him and override his arbitration years through a 14-year, $510 million deal.
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“If the Orioles want to lock down Henderson for the remainder of his prime (and probably his entire career), it will require a bold investment on this scale. This comes out to roughly $36.4 million annually through Henderson's age-40 campaign, assuming the contract begins in 2027. That sort of hardline commitment could coax even Scott Boras into an agreement, especially since Henderson isn't coming off of his absolute best season. This may feel impossibly risky, but it's the going rate for superstar talent. Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Vladdy Jr., Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto — all these dudes get paid through their late 30s and sometimes early 40s in order to guarantee their contributions from 25-35. The O's will no doubt suffer on the back end of such a contract, but if it gets them a couple MVP campaigns and a World Series push, which Henderson is more than capable of, you won't find many fans (or front office personnel) complaining,” Kline wrote.
In his five seasons as an Oriole, Henderson has slashed .269/.346/.482/.828 with 101 doubles, 86 home runs, and 260 RBI in 499 games played. He also won Rookie of the Year, a Silver Slugger, received an All-Star nod, and has been a top ten MVP candidate twice.
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This is a serious commitment, but Henderson is one of the best shortstops in the MLB, and can be the franchise cornerstone that the O’s build a contender around for years to come. He’s only 25 years old, and is just entering his prime.
Hopefully, Baltimore ponies up, and makes sure Henderson suits up in black, orange and white for the rest of his playing days.
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