3 painful Gunnar Henderson trade destinations new Orioles front office may actually consider

Baltimore Orioles fan need to start preparing themselves for the possibility of a Gunnar Henderson trade this offseason. While they may have already started to do so when Adley Rutschman was traded at the deadline, it's seeming more and more likely that the reality of him being dealt this offseason may come true.

Multiple Orioles beat reporters have mentioned the potential of Henderson being dealt in the last few days. Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner mentioned that teams around the league are wondering whether the Orioles will trade their star shortstop this winter. MASN's Roch Kubatko wrote about a conversation he had with a scout recently that broached the same topic. Both reporters referenced Rutschman being dealt as the sliding-door moment for real Henderson conversations.

If the Orioles do decide to trade him, what teams can feasibly make that kind of trade? At this point, with Henderson having two seasons of team control left, the question isn't just who has the capital to make the deal, but also whether they make a real attempt at re-signing him. While a contract extension certainly won't be a requirement of the trade from Henderson's camp, most teams won't want to give up the value needed for a player they don't think they can re-sign.

It is highly likely that the 25-year-old will head to free agency when he is able because he is a Scott Boras client, and they rarely sign extensions. That will open the door to a few other teams that could see Henderson as a player to push them over the top, but most will still stay away.

3 painful Gunnar Henderson trade destinations that the new Orioles front office might actually consider

Los Angeles Dodgers

This has been, and will remain, a destination for a Gunnar Henderson trade or free agent destination until he signs a long-term deal. The Dodgers are constantly linked to young superstars due to their financial flexibility to give out the types of contracts they garner, and their farm system that always has top prospects. It is the move that most expect to happen. It is the same thing that happened with Tarik Skubal, Manny Machado, Trey Turner, and even Betts. The Dodgers can always make a trade to acquire stars in the offseason or at the trade deadline to acquire a star, even if they don't re-sign them.

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves have found a way to consistently be near the top of the NL in the 2020s. They have won the NL East five of seven times in the decade and only missed the playoffs once. They won the World Series in 2021, but a season later lost their star shortstop, Dansby Swanson, in free agency and haven't been able to replace him since.

Gunnar Henderson could be the type of player Atlanta targets to be a short-term fix at the position. They have the top prospects to make that type of deal; the want for a star player to be the piece that pushes them over the top, and could make a run at signing him after the fact. The Braves aren't usually the type to make a deal like that, but if they want to try to capitalize on their roster before they age too much, now would be the time to strike.

Milwaukee Brewers

This would be one of the few teams that would look at this as a two-year rental and be ok with it. The Brewers would never be a team to sign Henderson in free agency, but they could look at him as a way to remain ultra-competitive the next two seasons.

The Brewers consistently rank among the top farm systems, meaning they would have the trade capital, and they could even deal a player or two from their major league roster. Henderson's down 2026 season could be enough to keep his arbitration price down to a level acceptable to them. The rate at which they develop prospects could mean they are ok with a player who wouldn't be around past his team control years, and also be able to manage the fall-off of losing him.

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