Ever since the Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. agreed to the 14-year, $500 million extension, the news has been garnering widespread attention. But it’s not the first time something like that happened. Previously, Shohei Ohtani signed a ten-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers and Juan Soto signed a fifteen-year, $765 million contract with the Mets. While one can assume some more players to be on the list, rumors are swirling about two Baltimore Orioles’ stars who may possibly fetch a $500 million contract.
Excellence on the field and age are crucial factors that play a role in fetching massive contracts. Although that doesn’t mean that players above 30 years may not acquire such a contract, signing a young player makes more sense when teams look for their long-term commitment. Now an MLB insider, Dayn Perry predicted the ones who may have a fair share of opportunity to get a half-billion contract, be it any form of contract extension or the free agency.
The first player having a higher chance of being a $500 million star is Gunnar Henderson. The 23-year-old shortstop and third baseman not only has age on his side, but also his excellence on the field makes him a great choice. Henderson batted at an average of .281, making 177 hits along with 37 home runs, 92 RBIs and 118 runs scored across the 159 games he played in 2024. Dayn Perry cited the 9.1 WAR, which makes him a great selection for the MVP award too. Henderson started playing in the majors at just 21 years, which paves the way for him to be available as a free agent before 30. Given that age is not a problem and the consistency at which he is playing at the moment, he may land a big contract after the 2028 season. But there is another Orioles player who is also in line to become a big-money star!
Jackson Holiday of the Baltimore Orioles started the 2024 season as one of the top prospects in MLB; however, he couldn’t leave much of a lasting impression. He managed to post a .189/.255/.311 slash line across the 60 games he played and struck out 69 times, at an average of 33.2%, which is much higher than the league average strikeouts of 22.6%. There’s no sugarcoating it: Jackson Holiday’s 2024 season was a debacle.
However, he has shown good signs in 2025, posting a home run, 4 RBIs, an average of .250, a .268 OBP and a .668 OPS. And if that’s not enough, Holiday is also the son of former All-Star Matt Holliday. Coming from a wealthy family leaves him with no such financial demands, which is often considered a reason behind players signing contracts and extensions that are much lower. However, his young age and display of good infield skills heighten the chances of hitting the market as a free agent after 2030 and even fetching a half-billion contract too.
Meanwhile, the Orioles’ disappointing start to this season has left Jackson Holiday sad, as he shares his feelings after the loss.
Jackson Holiday opens up after Orioles disastrous start this season
The Baltimore Orioles suffered a massive defeat by 9-0 against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Not only did the Diamondbacks win the series by winning back-to-back games, but they also exposed the poor contribution from the hitters against the Diamondbacks’ starter, Brandon Pfaadt. Pfaadt pitched six innings without any scores while Jackson Holiday went 0-3, expressing his disappointment after the loss. He said, “It’s tough. Baseball’s tough. It’s frustrating to lose, especially games you think you can win.” Despite the frustration visible in his language, Holiday is hopeful to turn back things quickly.
The Orioles’ top prospect called it too early to judge the players or the team. It was just 13 games and they have a lot of things in place, as stated by Holiday, instilling faith in the team. The Orioles’ manager, Brandon Hyde, also came in support of the team, expressing his disappointment with the way things were going. However, winning a game is never one player’s effort; rather, it combines the efforts of everyone and how they execute it on the field. It’s not far away that the team will address the challenges they faced earlier and be on their feet again.
Can you name any other players who may land a big contract in the future? Let us know in the comments.
The post Not 1 but 2 Orioles Stars Predicted to Join Vlad Jr., Soto, & Ohtani in $500M Contract Club by MLB Insider appeared first on EssentiallySports.
