As the Orioles rebuild rolls on behind the scenes, the major league team will be playing with a mandate of competing, and might actually play in a way that past Orioles teams frustrated by not doing.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter led the Orioles to success as part of a wave taking over the game that emphasize bullpen usage and defense. That the rest of the league caught up and passed them on that front doesn't take away from the success it brought.
The gulf between where the Orioles are now and where they were — when Manny Machado and J.J. Hardy were winning Gold Glove Awards on the left side and Jonathan Schoop was using one of the game’s strongest infield arms at second base — is vast.
This might be the time when other teams fire their managers and general managers, but it's not time for the Orioles to do that. There's too much work that needs to be done.
The Orioles have used deferred money in their long-term free agent contracts for five offseasons. It was used to entice Alex Cobb this year, and the money saved on present commitments with deferred money was used toward his 2018 salary.
Infield coach Bobby Dickerson is responsible for making sure Manny Machado and Tim Beckham get comfortable with the Orioles' great infield position switch. He's done it before.
The Orioles announced Friday that they've declined the club options for 2018 on left-hander Wade Miley and shortstop J.J. Hardy, sending both to free agency.
While the Orioles are to be commended for transitioning seamlessly to shortstop Tim Beckham from J.J. Hardy, there's perilously little depth behind him and second baseman Jonathan Schoop.
Tim Beckham maintains the Orioles' starting shortstop role even as a gracious J.J. Hardy was activated Friday, despite manager Buck Showalter's early assurances that
