The Baltimore Orioles are off to a tough start in 2025 with a ton of injuries holding the team back.
For the last couple of years, however, the Orioles have been one of the most successful teams in the league during the regular season.
Baltimore has done an excellent job of building a talented young core, especially in their lineup.
The Orioles have a surplus of position players that have had a positive impact on the team in recent years. Furthermore, they still have some of the best prospects in the minors still in their system waiting for their chance to make an impact.
Due to the plethora of young talent, Baltimore has been able to save a lot of money with some of their best players still on their first contracts.
However, the immense value they have received from one of those players is remarkable.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently spoke about the best player on the Orioles making under $1 million being their superstar shortstop, Gunnar Henderson.
“The Orioles have assembled an impressive homegrown core of position player talent that is still making roughly the league minimum, including 2024 All-Star Jordan Westburg ($772,700) and 2024 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up Colton Cowser ($774,500).”
Now, while Henderson is currently being paid less than $1 million per year, this is something that the franchise should be looking to change quickly.
With a lot of young stars around the league getting extensions, Baltimore should be pursuing one with their young star as well.
At just 23 years old, Henderson has already won the American League Rookie of the Year and came in fourth in AL MVP voting last year.
Due to his proven track record, an extension at this point for a player of that caliber seems very safe.
However, the financials of a potential deal are likely what could be holding it up.
Even though the Orioles started to spend a bit last winter, this isn’t a team known for handing out massive contracts.
A potential long-term deal for Henderson would likely mirror the $300+ million deal that Bobby Witt Jr. and the Kansas City Royals agreed to.
One of the reasons for the struggles of Baltimore to begin the year was Henderson missing time due to injury. Unfortunately, he has been off to a bit of a slow start coming back, but his value, especially from a financial standpoint, is unmatched.
Even though there are other talented players and contributors on the team making less than $1 million, the 23-year-old is certainly the best value as an MVP-caliber player.