2 arbitration eligible players Orioles have easy choices on, 2 that are potentially problematic

Brian Burrows of Birds Watcher analyzes four arbitration-eligible players facing pivotal offseason contract decisions with the Baltimore Orioles front office. Burrows argues that retaining outfielder Colton Cowser and corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand represent straightforward choices for general manager Mike Elias, given Cowser's low projected arbitration cost and Encarnacion-Strand's strong production of an .838 OPS across 58 games.

Conversely, Burrows views Gunnar Henderson and Leody Taveras as potentially problematic negotiations. While an offer to Henderson is guaranteed, his representative may seek historically high figures despite a down season, while Taveras' projected raise to $4.5 million may prove difficult to justify after posting a replacement-level 0.0 bWAR.