Imagine a star player battling through an undisclosed injury, only to still deliver a solid performance. That’s exactly what Gunnar Henderson did last season, and it’s a story that raises questions about what he could achieve at full health. Henderson, the Orioles’ standout infielder, wrapped up his third full Major League season with a respectable .274/.349/.438 batting line and 17 home runs across 651 plate appearances. While these numbers mirrored his 2023 campaign—which earned him AL Rookie of the Year honors—they fell short of his stellar 2024 performance, where he posted a 154 wRC+ and 7.9 fWAR. But here’s where it gets intriguing: Henderson recently revealed that he spent most of last season dealing with a previously undisclosed shoulder impingement, on top of missing Spring Training with an intercostal strain. ‘I just wasn’t able to hold the plane,’ Henderson explained in an interview on WBAL’s Orioles Hot Stove Show, ‘my body was adjusting, and it didn’t set me up to leverage the ball like I normally do.’ Despite the challenges, he played in 154 of 155 games, showcasing his grit. But this is the part most people miss: if the Orioles had known the extent of his injury, would they have—or should they have—reduced his playing time? With Henderson now predicting a healthy 2026, fans are eager to see if he can reclaim his 2024 form and propel the Orioles back into playoff contention after a disappointing 75-win season.
And speaking of game-changers, what if I told you the Orioles almost landed Framber Valdez years ago? The left-handed ace, now a free agent, has long been on Baltimore’s radar. In a bombshell report by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, it was revealed that the Astros were prepared to include Valdez in a four-player package for closer Zack Britton at the 2017 trade deadline. The deal fell apart at the last minute, reportedly due to the Orioles’ medical concerns—specifically about Rogelio Armenteros, not Valdez. But here’s the controversial part: Former Orioles owner Peter Angelos was famously cautious about pitcher health, a trait that may have cost the team a future star. Valdez went on to become a cornerstone of the Astros’ success, while Armenteros’s career fizzled out. J.D. Davis, another player in the proposed deal, blossomed into a productive infielder after being traded to the Mets. It’s a classic ‘what-if’ scenario: would Valdez and Davis have altered the Orioles’ rebuilding trajectory under Mike Elias? And could Valdez still be the missing piece in Baltimore’s rotation today? As the Orioles eye a return to contention, these questions linger—and they’re sure to spark debate among fans. What do you think? Was the Orioles’ caution justified, or did they let a future star slip away? Let’s hear your take in the comments!
