Two young stars could shake up MLB this winter.

Gunnar Henderson and Elly De La Cruz Are This Offseason’s Most Interesting Trade Chips.

The free-agent shortstop market this winter is thin.

Mauricio Dubón and J.P. Crawford are the best options available at the position.

Both are useful players.

Neither is a building-block talent.

That reality has pushed teams with a shortstop-sized hole in their lineup to look elsewhere.

The trade market offers two names that stand out above everything else.

Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles.

Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds.

Both are young.

Both are immensely talented.

Neither is under a long-term contract.

Both could be available.

Let’s start with Henderson.

He broke into the majors as a wunderkind.

In 2024, at age 23, he put up 7.9 WAR with a 154 wRC+.

He hit .281 with 37 home runs and 21 stolen bases.

He finished fourth in American League MVP voting.

That season remains the proof of what he can do.

Since then, the numbers have taken a noticeable step back.

His home run totals dropped from 37 to 17 in 2025, then to 24 in 2026.

His slugging percentage fell from .529 in 2024 to .420 across the next two seasons combined.

The advanced metrics tell the same story.

His wRC+, wOBA, xwOBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and barrel rate have all declined.

Henderson revealed after the 2026 season that he had been playing through injuries.

A diving play in 2025 caused a shoulder impingement.

He said the injury negatively affected his bat plane.

He also spent half of 2026 playing with a wrist that was bothering him.

Davy Andrews covered Henderson’s ailments in depth at the beginning of October.

A fully healed Henderson could bounce back in 2027.

But the last two seasons have not been commensurate with a superstar player.

The Orioles have also struggled.

Baltimore finished below .500 for the second straight year.

That context matters.

Now let’s look at De La Cruz.

He just finished the best season of his young career.

He set career highs in home runs (30), walks, batting average (.283), on-base percentage (.365), slugging percentage (.515), and OPS (.880).

He also posted a career low in strikeouts and errors.

He spent nearly a month on the injured list in May with a hamstring injury.

Even with that, he became the Reds’ fourth 30-30 player.

He is a finalist for the National League Silver Slugger Award at shortstop.

He is joined on the finalist list by CJ Abrams and Otto Lopez.

In September, De La Cruz played at another level.

He slashed .348/.437/.719 with nine home runs, six doubles, six stolen bases, and 19 RBI.

He won National League Player of the Month.

He played at an MVP level down the stretch.

The Reds also have rookie Sal Stewart, a Silver Slugger finalist at the utility position.

Stewart hit 32 home runs with 112 RBI and a .263 average.

He became just the second rookie in MLB history to have a 30-home-run, 15-stolen-base season, joining Jose Canseco.

He is the fourth rookie ever to hit 30 or more home runs with 110 or more RBI at age 22 or younger.

He played in all 162 games, starting 161.

The last Red to win a Silver Slugger was Nick Castellanos in 2021.

Brandon Drury won it in 2022 but had been traded to the Padres midseason.

De La Cruz would be the first Reds shortstop to win since Felipe Lopez in 2005.

Why would the Reds trade a player who just had a career year and is a Silver Slugger finalist?

The answer is the same reason the Orioles might trade Henderson.

Neither player is locked into a long-term contract.

Both teams have payroll constraints and roster holes elsewhere.

Both teams could get a massive return.

The trade market for a young, controllable shortstop with star upside is always strong.

This winter, the supply is almost nonexistent in free agency.

That drives up the value of anyone available via trade.

Henderson’s value is complicated by his recent decline.

Some teams will see a buy-low candidate.

Others will see a player whose injuries have permanently altered his swing.