Orioles’ Pitching Inferno: Front Office Faces Critical Test as Rotation Implodes

The Baltimore Orioles are heading out west to face the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 4-6 record.

It’s not the start they had envisioned, but it is one that many people forecasted when they took a look at the offseason moves — or lack thereof — that were made by the franchise.

Knowing they had lost their ace Corbin Burnes, the front office made a puzzling decision to not aggressively pursue a one-for-one replacement, whether that was in free agency or via a trade to bolster their starting rotation.

Finances are always going to be a topic of discussion when it comes to the Orioles, so it wasn’t surprising to see them not go to the top of the market to find another elite starter. But with an exceptional farm system where many of their star prospects are blocked, not shipping out a couple of them was seen as head-scratching.

And the lack of aggression is currently biting this Baltimore team.

Through 10 games, the starting rotation for the Orioles ranks 26th in ERA (5.62) and has been credited with the most losses (6) alongside the Cincinnati Reds.

Those numbers aren’t good enough for a team to compete for a division title, let alone an American League pennant like this organization was expecting coming into the year.

It’s clear that the strategy of having depth isn’t working.

The injury that Grayson Rodriguez suffered in camp that put him on the shelf to start the season didn’t help, but based on his past history, that was also something the front office should have been prepared to deal with.

Mike Elias and his staff have gotten Baltimore into this mess, and they’re the only ones who can get them out of it.

The Orioles are going to be linked to just about every starting pitcher who could becomes available ahead of the trade deadline this year, and it’s going to be on them to land one or two high-level arms to fix the predicament they find themselves in right now.

Whether it’s Dylan Cease, Sandy Alcantara, one of the starters from the Seattle Mariners or another ace-caliber arm who gets put on the trade block when that time arrives, Baltimore has to be the leading candidate when it comes to landing someone.

But that won’t occur until July 31.

Maybe Elias can swing something before then, helping out his rotation that already desperately needs a top-end starting pitcher.

If not, the Orioles could be in major trouble before the summer even arrives.