2 arbitration eligible players Orioles have easy choices on, 2 that are potentially problematic

As the Baltimore Orioles' offseason has officially started, the front office is starting to do their due diligence on the players on their own roster. While the Orioles still have a young roster, some players are starting to reach the latter stages of team control, which means they are arbitration-eligible.  

Mike Elias has a few easy decisions to make this offseason, but some of their arbitration-eligible players will require deeper conversations. Unfortunately, it may be a bit until we find out their choices, but they could absolutely alter the team's trajectory this winter.

Two arbitration eligible players Orioles have easy choices on

Colton Cowser

The fourth-year outfielder had one of his worst seasons at the plate, but really matured defensively, handling center field well. He has shown offensive capability in the past, which the front office can bank on. He is only heading into his first offseason of arbitration, so he won't cost too much this time around. It should be an easy choice to keep him around.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand

The corner infielder found his footing in Baltimore after struggling for a few seasons with Cincinnati. In 58 games, Encarnacion-Strand had 24 extra-base hits, an .838 OPS, and 39 RBIs. Even though it wasn't a full season sample, he played well enough to earn his shot next season with the organization. There is no reason the front office shouldn't be keeping him around.

Two arbitration eligible players that are potentially problematic

Gunnar Henderson

While this won't be a hard choice to give him an offer, there will certainly be a lot of haggling on price. Henderson underperformed heavily to his own standards this season. While recent reports suggested he played through injury, it doesn't excuse how poorly he played this entire season. Henderson looked on track to be one of the most expensive arbitration players ever, and his representation will likely look to try and get prices near there. The Orioles will certainly try to bring the price down significantly, causing a very contentious offseason between the two sides.

Leody Taveras

In his first season in Baltimore, Taveres played most of the season: 139 games. His 0.0 bWAR says he was a replacement-level player, though. The outfielder hit .219 with a .633 OPS and also had a -2 Fielding Run Value. Spotrac.com is predicting he gets over two times his pay from last season,  a raise from $2 million to $4.5 million. With other young outfielders on the roster, paying him that much of a raise doesn't feel like a smart idea. It will take a lot of negotiating to see if they can get a lower price than $4.5 million if he will be coming back to Baltimore.

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