Orioles can't ignore another Gunnar Henderson misplay that caused spiral vs Blue Jays

During Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, Gunnar Henderson was involved in a controversial play with Ernie Clement that quickly became the talking point of the entire day throughout MLB. While certainly buzzworthy, that play was not the only thing that cost the Orioles the game. You can actually look right at the routine grounder that Henderson fumbled the play before as just one of many key turning points. But perhaps more importantly, the former Rookie of the Year's error just might be the wake-up call that the team needs to think about making a change.

In the bottom of the 7th inning on Sunday, Clement chopped a soft bouncer up the middle that an average defensive shortstop should make 100 times out of 100. Even Henderson himself admitted as much while talking to Andy Kotska of the Baltimore Banner following Sunday's loss to the Blue Jays.

Gunnar Henderson's involvement in a viral play overshadowed his biggest mistake

The next play could have resulted in Henderson making up for that error and completing an inning-ending double play. By now, everyone has seen how that turned out. Yet even without the base-running play that everyone is still talking about, Henderson's error has highlighted his flaws at the shortstop position.

Although Henderson has shown to be a strong defender at times throughout the start of his career, his diminished offensive performance in 2026 is no longer hiding the holes in his defense. With an OPS of just .697, Henderson hasn't quite hit his stride at the plate just yet. This makes those errors even more backbreaking. Through 61 games at shortstop this season, Henderson has posted an Outs Above Average value of just 3. In comparison, Bobby Witt Jr. is boasting an OAA of 16, which leads all MLB shortstops by a wide margin.

While the two star shortstops are obviously very different players with their own play styles, the difference in their respective defensive ability is night and day. In fact, the gap between their abilities could be what ultimately costs the Orioles a chance at the postseason.

Gunnar Henderson's defense at shortstop may force the Orioles to make an uncomfortable decision

You've probably heard the phrase "defense wins championships" uttered ad nauseam. While certainly annoying, the meaning behind it has been proven to be true time and time again. Look at the 2024 New York Yankees. Their defensive lapses ultimately cost them dearly in Game 5 of their World Series matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers. For the Orioles, one rough inning from Henderson has shown to have similar snowballing results. After all, he's the leader on the field that the rest of the team all look to.

But where can the Orioles go from here? The natural move would be to slide Henderson over to third, a position he's already spent time at during the course of his career. Though he doesn't have the strongest arm in the world, it should still do just fine in the hot corner. With Jordan Westburg's future in question, the team may benefit greatly from the move. Baltimore could then target a shortstop in a trade to bolster the defense.

There's just one problem. The glove-first shortstop market isn't exactly overflowing at the moment. The Orioles could always just double down on poor defense and join the rumored C.J. Abrams trade market. His offensive production would make him a great complimentary piece and form one of the strongest hitting left sides of the infield in all of MLB. But that would just be a pipe dream.

Internally, the organization's best infield prospects like Wehiwa Aloy may still be a ways away from joining the team. For now, the Orioles can only hope that Henderson returns to form and starts to make the plays that he should easily be able to make. Because if he doesn't, the team may struggle to keep up with other postseason contenders.

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