Should Orioles move Henderson off shortstop? / MAILBAG

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.

Question: Would the Orioles consider moving Gunnar Henderson to third base, Jackson Holliday to shortstop, and Jordan Westburg at second base? Gunnar has become a defensive liability. His method of charging balls and off-balance throws have resulted in him leading the league in errors. From: Michael Mades

Answer: Michael, Your comment on Gunnar Henderson was echoed by Tony McLean. I hope you read Peter Schmuck’s column on Gunnar yesterday. Peter quoted Brandon Hyde’s observations on his fielding approach.

I think they’ll stick with Henderson at short and Holliday at second with Westburg mostly at third for the time being. Because Holliday’s first game was when Westburg was hit by a pitch, resulting in a broken hand, we didn’t see how often Westburg would move to second with Holliday on the team.

BaseballReference.com rates Henderson as a plus-defender at shortstop with a 1.3 WAR (Wins Above Replacement.)

Question: Are there any players currently on the Delmarva team to watch?  I know they haven’t had a great season and this year’s draft picks moved through very quickly. From: Louis Jacobson

Answer: Louis, Delmarva’s season ended on Sunday, and you’re correct, most of this year’s top draft picks moved onto Aberdeen quickly. Of the players who ended the season with the Shorebirds, Braxton Bragg, a starting pitcher, could be one to watch. Bragg was the Orioles’ eighth-round draft pick in 2023, was 5-6 with a 3.36 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 96 1/3 innings.