According to a recent report by Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner, the Baltimore Orioles are reportedly open to trading ‘a majority’ of the players on their roster.
As one would imagine, the only ‘untouchable’ on their roster is Pete Alonso.
MLBTR.com’s Darragh McDonald quickly hit the recent news and wrote:
It’s worth emphasizing that there’s a difference between actively trying to trade players and being open to offers, a distinction that Kostka clearly makes in his report. Still, it’s notable that the Baltimore front office is going into the offseason with the willingness to consider sweeping changes. The openness is certainly understandable. The Orioles did a big tank job from 2018 to 2021, placing themselves as one of the worst clubs in baseball for that stretch in order to stockpile young talent.
Worth noting, the Orioles traded Adley Rustchman earlier this season, which could have been an early sign of a fire sale.
With the Atlanta Braves in desperate need of an everyday shortstop, let’s take a quick look at what a trade package could look like between the Orioles and Braves for Gunnar Henderson.
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What Could Braves-Orioles Deal Look Like for Gunnar Henderson?
Gunnar Henderson is one of the most promising shortstops in all of MLB from a power standpoint.
In his 5-year MLB career, Henderson has won the AL Rookie of the Year, been named an All-Star, and has clubbed 110 home runs in 655 total games played.
If the Orioles are actually taking offers on a potential trade, the Atlanta Braves should absolutely be interested.
Here’s a trade package that could benefit both parties in this instance:
- Orioles receive: SP JR Ritchie, OF Brewer Hicklen, prospects Alex Lodise and Owen Murphy
- Braves receive: SS Gunnar Henderson
It’s important to note that Gunnar Henderson has yet to sign a contract extension and isn’t a free agent until 2029, which certainly drives the price up a bit on his trade status.
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Why Gunnar Henderson to the Braves Makes Sense
Gunnar Henderson to the Braves makes sense because Atlanta has dealt with major issues at the shortstop position for the last two years. Sure, Mauricio Dubon can slot in as the team’s shortstop in a utility role, but perhaps the Braves’ biggest need this offseason is a SS.
And if Atlanta doesn’t want to spend the big bucks in free agency for a top-of-the-market option (there aren’t many, anyway), trading for Henderson makes a lot of sense, and even some of the Braves faithful have already tried to float the idea.
There’s no way that Ha-Seong Kim is being brought back to Atlanta, and even Dubon is a free agent. However, it feels likely that Dubon will ink a multi-year deal with Atlanta, but he could be better suited for the team as a semi-everyday left fielder, depending on how Mike Yastrzemski is playing.
In 2026, Gunnar Henderson batted .226 with 24 home runs, 27 doubles, and logged an OPS+ of 102.
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