Question: I believe the expectation by fans is that under David Rubinstein’s ownership the Orioles would spend and get the team in the top third of MLB’s payroll, which would put the team in a better position to have a top ace and that top impact player. Now we realize that permission to spend didn’t retain our ace. Hopes now of retaining Gunnar Henderson, when the time comes, has diminished. What are your thoughts on the team’s future prospect of retaining Gunnar in light of the Juan Soto contract? From: Mark Hewitt
Answer: Mark, under Rubenstein’s ownership, the Orioles’ payroll has risen from 28th in Major League Baseball at the beginning of the 2024 season, to 17th in less than a year.
The Angels have the 10th-highest payroll, about $190 million, and I think that while the Orioles’ payroll will rise further, putting it in the top 10 might be a stretch for a small-market team.
I always thought it would be difficult to re-sign Gunnar Henderson, and if he’s intent on Soto-like numbers, I think it would be highly unlikely that the Orioles would be in on that bidding.
Question: Why is it that pitchers are so much harder to predict and draft than position players? It seems so hit-and-miss with pitchers, especially in the last five years when most of the big-name high school and college stars flamed out early in the minors. With the massive dollars a good pitcher commands from a major league team, you’d think more pitchers would be accumulated to be homegrown in the minors. From: Bruce Breslow, Reno, Nevada
Answer: Bruce, it’s much rarer for a starting pitcher to be consistent than a position player. As Jayson Stark pointed out in The Athletic on Wednesday, there have been only eight starting pitchers elected to the Hall of Fame since 2000, and there’s never been a pitcher selected with the overall top pick in the draft who’s made it to the Hall of Fame.
There are more things that can go wrong with a pitcher than a position player, and that’s why every team is always looking for more pitching.
Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.