Adley Rutschman's Departure Sets Up Uncertainty For Gunnar Henderson's Future

Before the Baltimore Orioles decided to deal catcher Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox, the sense that he would get traded did not feel like a strong one.

Rutschman, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft who was in the midst of his fifth season in Baltimore, was always perceived as the franchise catcher. The talent was there, and the commitment to him had always been there up until this season’s trade season.

The shockwaves that the Rutschman deal to Boston set have now set up an unfortunate path to contemplation for the Orioles’ current talent — most notably with shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who is not a free agent until the end of the 2028 season.

Initially, a player with such control left on a team with the ability to compete is not brought up in such trade talks, at least most times. But that wasn’t the case with Rutschman, who becomes a free agent after 2027. In that case, the conversation for Henderson’s future opens further. 

On a recent segment on the Just Baseball Show Podcast, ESPN insider Buster Olney made it clear that the shortstop’s future in Baltimore may be in heavy question after the Rutschman deal. 

"This is just the beginning of this... Adley gets traded. Gunnar Henderson is represented by Scott Boras,” Olney said. “He's not going to re-sign there, in all likelihood."

Baltimore deciding to move on from Rutschman indicates that the team is looking further beyond this season to compete at a higher level, while currently having a team in the midst of the AL Wild Card race. Doing so in such a position may cause doubt among their talent to stay.

Next season, Henderson would be at the same position of his contract that Rutschman was at when he was dealt. That following season, that player could be Jordan Westburg. After that, the next would be Jackson Holliday. 

The Orioles may have started an unfortunate chain reaction. The trend becomes a possibility, as the consequences of trading Rutschman bloom. But if the Orioles want to avoid that, they have to win and compete at a high level, something they haven’t done since 2023. 

Olney’s comments on Henderson’s future with the team are definitely ones to spark concern. Baltimore would surely love to keep his talents, but with the way things went down with Rutschman, nothing is out of the picture for the shortstop. Now, he could very well be on the table for trade talks in the near future.

Moving Rutschman wasn't a pressing matter heading into the year. However, the move may have paved the way for a different discussion for some players.