The Baltimore Orioles are looking to bounce back after going 75-87 and finishing in last place in the American League East in 2025. They made some big moves this past offseason by signing Pete Alonso and Chris Bassitt and should be in a much better place in 2026.
The team has a solid young core that features players such as Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman, Samuel Basallo and Jackson Holliday.
Henderson came up to the major leagues at the end of the 2022 season and was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2023. He was also an All-Star in 2024 and finished fourth in the MVP race.
The Orioles envision him being a major part of their core for the next several years. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Baltimore actually tried to extend him prior to the 2025 season.
Baltimore Orioles Tried to Extend Gunnar Henderson
Henderson is certainly worthy of an extension. His accomplishments speak for themselves, and he has only been in the league for four years. Obviously, they couldn’t reach an agreement last winter.
The 24-year-old slugger hit .274/.349/.438 with 17 home runs, 68 RBI, a 5.3 WAR, 30 stolen bases and a .787 OPS during the regular season last year. He is not a free agent until 2029, so he does have three years left of club control.
But the time to extend him is coming. The Orioles need to be sure that they can lock him up soon while they can still do it at a good price. This isn’t an organization that likes to spend a lot of money in free agency, so signing their stars before they hit free agency is ultimately the best path if they want to keep those players around long-term.
In addition to his Rookie of the Year award and his All-Star selection, Henderson is also a former Silver Slugger, so there are a lot of reasons for the Orioles to try and look into giving him a contract extension in the near future.
There are a lot of promising young players on the Orioles’ roster and in their farm system, but finding a way to keep Henderson around long-term would be the smartest move for them as they look to build a contending team and get back to the postseason.
Henderson is the face of the franchise, and letting him walk without even trying to extend him would not be a popular move with the fanbase, especially since they have not won a World Series title since 1983.
Henderson is The Future of the Orioles
The Orioles haven’t fully committed to a franchise player in a long time. Henderson is one of the first players they have developed into a superstar in years, so it makes sense to at least consider giving him the contract extension he seeks.
He could command a hefty salary, but Henderson is the type of player that the Orioles should be willing to pay that money for, and it should be interesting to see if extension talks between the two sides reignite anytime soon.
Baltimore Orioles Reportedly Tried to Extend Former Rookie of the Year