Orioles 'Sat Down' With Gunnar Henderson Trying to Sign Him to Long-Term Deal

The Baltimore Orioles made a run at getting Gunnar Henderson extended.

Apr 19, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Some notable news was revealed by Jon Heyman in regards to the Baltimore Orioles.

On Bleacher Report's MLB Insider Notebook show, he discussed the disappointment that has been the 2025 season for the Orioles before dropping a bombshell.

"They did try to sign him in spring, by the way. Owners sat down with Gunnar Henderson ... and tried to lock him up," Heyman stated.

This is surely to catch the attention of this fan base.

For a while, everyone in the baseball world has been clamoring for Baltimore to spend money and secure the future of their franchise by locking Gunnar Henderson into a long-term deal, ideally doing so alongside Adley Rutschman as the pillars of this organization.

With David Rubenstein taking over as owner, the hope was something like this could get done.

General manager Mike Elias has been coy when it comes to revealing anything abut extensions for Henderson or Rutschman, so this bit of information from Heyman is the first sign that anything substantial has taken place when it comes to actually getting something worked out with one of their young stars.

Nothing was finalized this past offseason, and it's going to be expensive for the Orioles if they do get something done.

However, this is a good step in the right direction, and Heyman seems to think there's a chance that money will be spent to make sure Henderson doesn't leave on the open market when that time comes.

"I don't think they made a terrible offer. Don't know exactly what it was, but they gave it a shot. And, you know, I hear Baltimore is too cheap ... I can believe that with some other teams ... Baltimore I don't think so," the insider added.

In a traditional sense, the front office wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to get something done.

Henderson is entering his first year of arbitration in 2026, so that gives them more time to get a long-term extension worked out. But it also presents more of a challenge since he could also put together another season like the one he did in 2024 where he was a legitimate MVP candidate.

Knowing that, it's encouraging to hear there at least was an effort to get something finalized from the ownership level, which could bode well to keeping Henderson in Baltimore for the foreseeable future.