The Baltimore Orioles went into the offseason after a second straight postseason appearance and early exit.
Veterans Anthony Santander and Corbin Burnes were set to become free agents, and new owners and the front office proposed more flexibility to acquire top talent. This linked the Orioles to every possible free agent, and Birdland was salivating for big name after big name to just waltz through the doors.
Unfortunately, those wishes have yet to materialize into what fans had in mind. Outside of Tyler O’Neill, Gary Sánchez and Nick Gordon, the Orioles have yet to turn a ripple into a wave. This has ruffled the feathers of Birdland to where people are calling for GM Mike Elias’ ouster.
However, much of Birdland seems to forget that Corbin Burnes wasn’t acquired until February 1 of 2024. That acquisition was via trade when many fans lost hope of an ace coming to Baltimore.
As the season concluded this past year, the Birds found themselves in a similar situation. The difference now is that the organization’s new ownership group, led by David Rubenstein, is anxious to win and has the money to support adding the right pieces.
Unfortunately, as 2025 has begun, it seems Birdland has run out of patience and is ready to scrap the blueprint.
Elias comes from a Houston Astros front office that has maintained a decade-long stretch as the darlings of the American League, as they appeared in seven straight League Championship Series, becoming the first AL team ever to achieve that feat.
Those teams started with a strong minor league system, replaced talent as it departed, signed core players to the team while also avoiding long-term deals for players over 30 years old. Those teams also traded for established veteran aces like Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Grienke.
The reason I bring this up is because as the days count down to spring training, the Orioles front office is still doing its due diligence. There are six weeks until pitchers and catchers report and just over 90 days until the season begins. What does that mean to Birdland?
It means that faith and patience will be needed in order to see what is in store. A team has been built that has fought for an AL East Title the last two seasons and, regardless of the outcomes, has made the postseason. Injuries caught up with the team last season, but the talent is there, and there is still strong enough talent to compete and keep pestering AL East foes.
The front office and ownership finally are on the same page, so let’s continue to see this through and see where it goes. After all, Elias has kept his word in building a competitive team from the ground up.
The blueprint has worked thus far, and there has been more success in back-to-back seasons than in over a quarter century. It’s not time to lose faith, but it is, in fact, time to be supportive, trust in the process and continue to cheer our team through it all.
What are your thoughts on all of this? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Like Stephen’s content? Follow him on X – @SRJHeckman, and listen to the official podcast of The Baltimore Battery, The Final Strike, anywhere you get your podcasts!
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a reply to enthusiastsweetlyd2ec706ef3 Cancel reply