BALTIMORE — The backslapping of goodbyes within the Baltimore Orioles clubhouse was deafening, the official obituary for a staff that has been taking part in useless for months.
This a lot is obvious: The honeymoon is over.
Final yr, when this group was swept out of the American League Division Collection by the eventual champion Texas Rangers, the explanations appeared legitimate. They had been younger, inexperienced. That they had merely run out of fuel in October. There was dejection, however it was exhausting to be too upset at a staff that had surprised the game by successful 101 video games and the AL East. Again and again, these across the staff supplied variations of the identical phrase: It was only the start of a protracted window for this younger core.
The window is right here. And if the group, everybody from common supervisor Mike Elias on down, doesn’t be taught from its errors, it might slam shut prior to anybody thought.
A brand new possession group, led by David Rubenstein, will take an in depth have a look at the enterprise in its first full offseason, and the listing of upgrades and to-dos is lengthy. This entrance workplace can be clever to do its personal post-mortem, after a listless 2-1 loss to the Kansas Metropolis Royals that ought to ship shock waves via each nook of Camden Yards.
“All of it got here crashing down on us prior to anybody anticipated it to,” catcher James McCann mentioned of an Orioles staff with World Collection expectations that was 20 video games over .500 within the first half of the season.
This isn’t nearly Jordan Westburg’s harm, although when Westburg fractured his hand, the Orioles’ offense took a nosedive in August and September. Neither is it in regards to the alarming play of catcher Adley Rutschman, who’s both damage or simply went the higher a part of 4 months as a below-average offensive participant.
And it isn’t nearly taking part in issues too secure on the commerce deadline, although you may definitely begin there. The Orioles had been a .500 staff within the second half of the season, and had been it not for the acquisition of Wednesday’s starter, Zach Eflin, the deadline may very well be chalked up as a complete failure. It’s the second successive season Elias and his group opted to not make an enormous splash however to as an alternative maintain on to most of their prime prospects and thoroughly cultivated farm system.
Possibly larger strikes weren’t on the market, however there have been different paths to improve. One, nearer Lucas Erceg, stared them within the face as he completed the job for the Royals in each wild-card video games. Two extra, the San Diego Padres’ Tanner Scott and Jason Adam, had been important sufficient bullpen upgrades that it makes you surprise: What number of video games might they’ve modified for the Orioles? Being daring can invigorate a clubhouse. Being secure, for the second season in a row, will be deflating. “It’s higher than nothing,” a member of final yr’s staff texted me after the staff acquired Jack Flaherty and Shintaro Fujinami, each busts, final July. Was it, although?
Optics matter. Clubhouse dynamics matter. Expertise issues. Particularly within the postseason.
Kansas Metropolis, a small-market staff, infused its membership with 4 new gamers on the deadline and added one other trio in August on waivers. It prioritized veterans, understanding postseason expertise was vital. Who within the Orioles lineup has the expertise and cache to name a pregame assembly to gentle a hearth, or preserve issues free within the dugout? Veterans matter, even once they don’t present up within the numbers.
In fact, the Orioles might have added Scott, Adam, Erceg and classic Mariano Rivera on the deadline and it nonetheless wouldn’t have helped a lot in opposition to Kansas Metropolis. The O’s lineup seemed flummoxed and depressing the previous two days, flailing at pitches exterior the zone, determined to hit a three-run homer with nobody on base. In maybe the lasting picture of this sequence, Colton Cowser struck out swinging at a ball that hit him within the fifth inning with the bases loaded. Had he saved his bat on his shoulders, the Orioles would have taken the lead.
The O’s scored one run the complete sequence, operating the group’s playoff shedding streak to 10 within the course of. They by no means led and, relationship again to final yr’s sweep in opposition to Texas, have had the lead in only one inning in 5 postseason video games. These don’t simply really feel like losses; they really feel virtually inevitable. That’s what wants to alter.
O’s grew to become the 4th staff to win ≥ 90 regular-season video games, make the playoffs and go winless within the playoffs in consecutive seasons. Brewers are about to affix them.
Others:
2021-22 Cardinals
2018-19 A’s
1969-70 Twins@Stathead— Rob Daniels (@oriolesfactoids) October 3, 2024
“Final yr, Recreation 1 (we had an) alternative, didn’t win, however then the following two form of obtained out of hand,” Orioles supervisor Brandon Hyde mentioned. “This yr, you felt like these had been two winnable video games.”
The Orioles entrance workplace and coaches will spend a very long time unpacking all the explanations they grew to become a .500 staff: accidents, underperformance, over-reliance on their younger stars. The gamers, eyes red-rimmed and shocked, will retreat to their offseason houses and surprise what might have been.
“For it to occur two years in a row is a tricky capsule to swallow,” mentioned first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who, like a lot of his teammates, had no solutions for a way this staff slid so removed from July on. For a way the complete lineup dipped in runs per recreation, slugging share, OPS and each different tangible metric because the season wore on.
Somebody higher discover these solutions. Subsequent yr, the Orioles gained’t have ace Corbin Burnes — who came to visit final offseason in a incredible commerce by the entrance workplace — or Anthony Santander, who hit a team-leading 44 house runs and can also be headed to free company. These are large sneakers to fill.
Make no mistake: That is nonetheless a proficient younger staff. However by no means has an offseason felt extra essential. By no means has there been a time to aggressively chase upgrades and never waste one other yr of a younger, controllable, low cost core.
Home windows change. Accidents occur; gamers age. The Orioles don’t even have to depart the division for proof of how rapidly issues can flip bitter. Simply have a look at the Toronto Blue Jays.
The entrance workplace has proved it could possibly construct a minor-league system and develop an enviable group of younger, big-league expertise. It has performed a terrific job turning round a corporation that was in dire straits. Now it’s time to determine learn how to take the following step.
Good isn’t adequate anymore. And simply attending to October can’t be, both.
(Photograph: Patrick Smith / Getty Photos)