Baltimore Orioles: Gunnar Henderson Reportedly Set To Sign With O’s

Have the Baltimore Orioles reached a deal with their second-round pick, Gunnar Henderson? It appears they have.

With a long list of award ceremonies to attend after his collegiate career came to an end at Oregon State, the Baltimore Orioles have yet to officially sign Adley Rutschman, the first overall pick of the 2019 MLB draft, but his career as an Oriole is expected to begin shortly. The only real signability question has surrounded second-round pick Gunnar Henderson.

Considered an elite high school talent, it was reported on Sunday afternoon that Alabama’s top high school player will indeed sign with the Baltimore Orioles in the coming days, squashing any doubts anyone may have had.

The left-handed hitting shortstop turns 18 at the end of June and will likely join Rutschman at the top of most Orioles’ top prospect lists, once the deal is made official and post-draft prospect lists are updated. I can’t say that I’ve ever taken the time to watch any Alabama high school baseball, but pouring over glowing scouting report after glowing scouting report on the soon-to-be Oriole brings an uncontrollable smile to your face.

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Feelings over whether or not Henderson would sign with the Orioles were mixed. Many believed Mike Elias would not have selected the John T. Morgan Academy standout if he knew Henderson wasn’t going to put pen to paper. Others believed it was a long-shot, considering his many connections to Auburn, where he was committed to play with his brother for a Tiger team expected to make serious runs at a College World Series title.

As the draft unfolded, it became clear that Mike Elias was ensuring he had the funds available to give Henderson what is expected to be overslot value ($1.77 million slot value for the pick #42). Fellow top ten picks Joey Ortiz, Maverick Handley, Johnny Rizer, Griffin McLarty, Connor Gillispie, and Jordan Cannon combined for more than $540,000 in savings, savings to be used towards Henderson’s deal.

Baseball America described Henderson as “a physical, 6-foot-3, 194-pound infielder with a chance to stick at shortstop. He has some power from the left side of the plate and solid bat speed out of a slightly wide stance with a toe-tap load and long, one-handed finish.”

From MLB Pipeline- “One of the better hitters in this year’s high school class, Henderson produces a lot of hard contact from gap to gap. He has shown more bat speed from the left side of the plate this spring and his power is catching up to his hitting ability as he continues to add muscle to his 6-foot-3 frame. He has been a little faster this year as well, more consistently recording above-average run times. There’s still some debate as to where Henderson will wind up defensively. Those who think he can remain at shortstop believe he’s an underrated athlete with a quick first step and a plus arm. Others believe he’ll slow down as he fills out and necessitate a move to third base, where he’d still profile well offensively.”

Whether he eventually sticks at shortstop or moves over to third base isn’t much of a concern as he joins the Baltimore Orioles. If his bat develops into what scouts believe it will, the Orioles have VERY little minor league depth on the left side of the infield. Also, with Rutschman going number one overall and expected to rise through the system and reach the major leagues in a short amount of time, there’s much less pressure placed on Henderson.

The soon-to-be 18-year-old can slowly work through the minor leagues, taking advantage of a massive philosophical shift taking over Birdland, including down on the farm. Leading up to the draft, there was doubt Elias would take Rutschman number one, with debate sparking over whether the Orioles should go with the polished college prospect or the much more raw high school talent with the top pick (Bobby Witt Jr). Turns out, Elias is getting both in Rutschman and Henderson.

The Baltimore Orioles may not be providing much excitement on the field right now, but expected signings of Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson should provide a jolt of energy into a fanbase desperate for something to cheer for.