"He was close to Bobby Witt in bWAR" - MLB analyst warns of Orioles' key issue before new season

Modified Mar 07, 2025 11:30 GMT

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The Baltimore Orioles haven't made any significant additions this offseason and instead have lost key players in Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander to free agency.

Burnes, who went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA, signed a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Meanwhile, Santander, who struck 44 home runs in 2024, signed a five-year, $92,500,000 contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.

With the Red Sox padded up with good additions, podcaster Chris Rose questioned the chances of the Orioles making it out of AL East. However, his co-host Trevor Plouffe was somewhere in the middle when asked if the Orioles could make it to October.

For that to happen, the Orioles will need immense production from the likes of Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson, Plouffe said. This is when he put out a concern about the latest injury report of Henderson.

"They’re already dealing with some injuries—Gunnar Henderson has an intercostal issue," Plouffe said on "Baseball Today" (17:22 onwards). "They say he’ll be ready for Opening Day, but those injuries can linger.

"If something happens to Gunnar Henderson—who put up a 91 bWAR last year—I don’t think people realize how good he was. He was close to Bobby Witt in bWAR last year, and we talk about Bobby Witt all the time. If he misses time, that’s a drastically different team."

If Henderson who earned MVP votes last season does miss time, it will impact the Orioles' offense the most. This is why Plouffe had question marks on whether the Orioles could keep in an intense AL East.

Latest on Orioles' Gunnar Henderson injury

On Thursday, according to MLB.com, Gunnar Henderson was diagnosed with a mild right intercostal strain. The injury happened last week when he tried to hop for a catch during a spring training game against the Blue Jays.

Manager Brandon Hyde said the club has no intention to hurry him back to the field, thereby putting his Opening Day availability in doubt.

“I’m very, very hopeful,” Hyde said on Henderson being ready for Opening Day. “But we’re going to not push a strain there, and we want to make sure that he gets it taken care of. It’s one of those sensitive areas where you don’t want anything to reoccur.”

Henderson is coming off a career year in 2024, slashing .281/.364/.529 with 37 home runs and 92 RBIs. He finished fourth in AL MVP Award voting.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash