Are Orioles’ core players not as good as advertised? | MAILBAG

Question: Given the collapse of the Orioles’ offense in the second half of 2024, and the offensive struggles so far this season, is it time to consider the possibility that most of the team’s core young players were overrated, and are simply not as good as we thought a year ago? From: Joel

Answer: Joel, I think it’s too early for that. Jordan Westburg, whom I think will be an excellent major leaguer, is on the injured list. So is Colton Cowser. Gunnar Henderson has not hit as well as he did the last two years, but remember he had a rough two months to start 2023.

Adley Rutschman has had disappointing numbers, too, but I’d prefer to wait another month or two on him. Heston Kjerstad has failed to produce, but this is his first extended major league opportunity. Jackson Holliday is still 21, and he’s way ahead of last year.

So, it’s possible you’re right, but I think it’s too early for definitive judgments. .

Question: Why won’t Mike Elias extend our core players with deals? It’s one of the keys to team morale, development and overall performance. With a disengaged team, we have very little chance of turning this around. Mike, do it now before it’s too late. From: Andy Yowell

Answer: Andy, your question is an interesting contrast to the previous one. As I’ve written many times, I think Gunnar Henderson will be extraordinarily difficult to extend with Scott Boras as his agent. The same is true for Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg.

I think the most realistic choice to extend is Adley Rutschman, but they may want to wait a month or two until his offense improves to make them feel confident he’s not in a prolonged downturn.

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.