Baseball: A game that can bring fans, strangers, friends and family closer for nine-inning marathons, sharing in the excitement of victory and heartbreak in the losses.
Showing up daily to cheer your favorite team and players just seems to make the world a better place for a period of time, whether it’s a six-inning rain out, a 15-inning nail-bitter, a majestic home run that brings wide-eyed amazement or a 102 mph fastball that makes a future Hall of Famer look mortal for a brief nanosecond.
But as a fan, there is always the Monday morning general managers that know just what the team needs to do and who to extend. In this case, many fans in Birdland might be on to something, or maybe might be playing their hand before the final turn on the river.
Either way, the Orioles have more eyes on them than they have had since their dominating run in the 1960s and 70s. For the first time in 50 years, there is an excitement in Birdland, as the team now has a financially stable ownership group with career Oriole and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. being a part of it.
Baltimore possesses seasoned manager who has brought a group of prospects to a perennial postseason threat in an eight-year time frame, and a general manager who is one of the smartest at finding talent and prospects either across the college landscape or minor league landscape.
The area of question that keeps arising is long-term security of talent and when it will happen.
Across Major League Baseball, players such as Bobby Witt Jr., Cal Raleigh, Jackson Merrill and Garrett Crochet, are signing long-term deals that give them and their organization security going forward.
Then, there is the Baltimore Orioles, a franchise that had three players labeled as the No. 1 prospect in the sport for three consecutive years and the top farm system for four years, full of young talent up and down the roster. Yet, the organization is filled with players who are coming closer to free agency without any extensions reached.
The Orioles banked a full-scale rebuild on all-around talent and former No. 1 prospect, catcher Adley Rutschman, a five-tool talent who was making waves as the best catcher in the game before he even made his MLB debut. He has rewarded the Birds with stability and leadership since his arrival in May of 2022. Proving he is exactly what the Birds needed and wanted, he has been the anchor and driving force of a resurrected franchise.
Drafted the same year, shortstop Gunnar Henderson has become a bonafide superstar in his two years in the league. From winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award, becoming an All-Star and even being a Gold Glove finalist, Henderson has become one of the faces of the next generation of talent in MLB.
With Rutschman and Henderson leading the way, other top talents, such as Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Grayson Rodriguez and Colton Cowser have arrived, making their mark on the organization. The question at large is: When does the talent in Birdland get locked up?
Orioles GM Mike Elias has reported that he has been in contact with representation both for Rutschman and Henderson. Even Scott Boras (Henderson, Holliday and Westburg’s agent) has reiterated that Elias has been relentless and more aggressive with his clients than the Orioles have before. Unfortunately, it hasn’t translated.
Boras is notorious for encouraging his clients to wait until free agency before signing any contracts, but the gamble exists that injuries could force the price way down. So, it becomes a gamble, one that many players will take when they see Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto signing $700 million deals.
“Whenever I see extensions and it’s not the O’s, I’ll immediately b****,” remarked Birdland member, Logan Fox. “I think we’ve established this. I’m already preparing myself mentally to watch Gunnar Henderson walk, unfortunately.”
Many in Birdland have a similar feeling when it comes to the Orioles. We have seen it happen too many times with the likes of Anthony Santander, Manny Machado, Corbin Burnes and Mike Mussina.
As a fan, it’s hard to control your angst when young talent is being locked up with long-term deals around the league, yet your team struggles to bring in A-list free agents and extend its superstars.
As a writer, I see jumping the gun and getting returns like Wander Franco and Tim Beckham when jumping the gun. We get to see the ebbs and flows as our research predicates we find the information.
So, the question will remain. Until at least one extension comes to fruition, are the Birds letting the eggs rot in the nest, or are they waiting for the Baby Birds to establish themselves consistently before putting all their eggs in one basket?
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