Henderson: 'I'm open ears' to Orioles extension

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson would consider becoming the next player to ink an extension with the club after teammates Shane Baz and Samuel Basallo signed long term.

"Any time they want to come my way, I'm open ears," the 24-year-old said Saturday, according to Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner.

"But also my first priority right now is to win ballgames and do whatever I can to bring a championship to the Orioles. All of that (contract stuff) is secondary right now."

The Orioles signed Baz to a five-year extension Friday that's reportedly worth $68 million. Baltimore extended Basallo with an eight-year, $67-million contract last August.

“We are open for business, of course," Orioles owner David Rubenstein said when asked about extending other players on the team, according to MLB.com's Jake Rill.

Henderson is one of the top young players in the big leagues, authoring a .269/.346/.483 slash line with 86 home runs, 260 RBIs, and 62 steals in 498 MLB games.

The 2023 AL Rookie of the Year has finished top 10 in AL MVP voting twice, including a fourth-place finish in 2024.