RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. The Baltimore Orioles might not be done tearing down their young core.
Adley Rutschman, who initially joined the organization as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, was sold off at the trade deadline to the division-rival Boston Red Sox. Grayson Rodriguez, once touted as the future ace of the staff, never quite figured it out before his offseason trade to the Los Angeles Angels. Jackson Holliday and Colton Cowser have both significantly regressed throughout their first few seasons in the big leagues.
It's safe to call the club's experiment of building through the farm system and developing young talent hasn't worked out, with each and every one of those examples either flaming out of the organization entirely or looking like they're well on their way out.
Gunnar Henderson, the undoubted face of the organization, could soon suffer the same fate .
"This is just the beginning of this," ESPN's Buster Olney said in an appearance on the "Just Baseball" podcast on Thursday. "Adley gets traded. Gunnar Henderson is represented by Scott Boras. He's not going to re-sign there, in all likelihood."
If that's the case, wouldn't it make sense to move on sooner rather than later?
Henderson once looked like he could become the face of the sport, slashing .269/.346/.510 with 65 home runs, 60 doubles, 174 RBIs, and a 141 OPS+ across his rookie and sophomore campaigns -- taking home American League Rookie of the Year in 2023 and being named an All-Star in 2024.
If that's great, then what is .249/.326/.418 with 35 home runs, 53 doubles, 115 RBIs, and a 109 OPS+ across 2025 and 2026?
It's just okay, which is cool and all, but not for a guy who is going to be looking to break the bank.
The Orioles will soon have to make a decision on Henderson -- either give him the richest contract among shortstops, or trade him to someone who will. If they continue to take steps backward as an organization, you can almost guarantee that they'll lean toward the latter.
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