DCTribefan
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Interesting article pasted below from Axios about how the orioles are following the Astros blueprint on building a champioship* team.
The Orioles are in the midst of one of the worst stretches in baseball history. In other words, everything is going according to plan.
The state of play: The O's have lost 18 games in a row (17 by double digits), while being outscored by 102 runs. They're the first team in AL history with two losing streaks of 13+ games in a season.
Mike Elias, the Orioles' executive vice president and general manager. Photo: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
The carbon copy: The O's are currently at the "MLB team is a disaster but the future looks bright" stage. They're a laughingstock, but hey — they now have MLB's No. 2 farm system, per Baseball America, featuring the No. 1 hitter (Adley Rutschman) and No. 1 pitcher (Grayson Rodriguez).
"None of what is happening with and to the Orioles right now did not also happen first to and later for the Astros; this was and remains the entire idea. At some point, the Orioles might begin trying to improve instead of trying to make sure they don't. Sometime after that, they might actually start trying to win. At some point after that they might even manage to do it."
— David Roth, Defector (subscription)
The big picture: "Tanking" is synonymous with the NBA. But the concept of "not trying to win games" is just as prevalent in MLB — and it's a far more painful experience for baseball fans to endure.
The Orioles are in the midst of one of the worst stretches in baseball history. In other words, everything is going according to plan.
The state of play: The O's have lost 18 games in a row (17 by double digits), while being outscored by 102 runs. They're the first team in AL history with two losing streaks of 13+ games in a season.
- At 38-85, they're on pace to lose 108+ games in three straight full seasons. The last team to do that? The expansion 1962–65 Mets. Yes, those Mets.
- Baltimore won 47 games in 2018, 54 games in 2019 and is on pace to win 50 in 2021, all while trotting out lineups that often resemble Triple-A squads.
- The Astros stripped down the organization and rebuilt it from the ground up, investing in player development, acquiring stars with high draft picks, and spending very little money on big-league contracts.
- The MLB team suffered, winning an average of 54 games 2011-13. This angered fans, but enough bought into the "just wait ..." narrative to sustain it. When the front office felt the team was ready to contend, they started spending money on players.
- In 2017, six years after the rebuild began, Houston won its first World Series, making all those losses worth it in the eyes of many. And the Astros have remained a (scandal-ridden) powerhouse ever since.

The carbon copy: The O's are currently at the "MLB team is a disaster but the future looks bright" stage. They're a laughingstock, but hey — they now have MLB's No. 2 farm system, per Baseball America, featuring the No. 1 hitter (Adley Rutschman) and No. 1 pitcher (Grayson Rodriguez).
"None of what is happening with and to the Orioles right now did not also happen first to and later for the Astros; this was and remains the entire idea. At some point, the Orioles might begin trying to improve instead of trying to make sure they don't. Sometime after that, they might actually start trying to win. At some point after that they might even manage to do it."
— David Roth, Defector (subscription)
The big picture: "Tanking" is synonymous with the NBA. But the concept of "not trying to win games" is just as prevalent in MLB — and it's a far more painful experience for baseball fans to endure.
- When an NBA team tanks, they get a top draft pick and that player is on the court months later, giving fans a glimpse of a brighter tomorrow. Stars can transform a basketball team overnight, so the future feels within reach.
- When an MLB team tanks, they get a top draft pick and that player then spends years toiling in the minors, mostly out of sight. The losing seasons are painful and long. 162 games is a lot, especially when you're out of contention in early May and have five months to go.
- For context, 40 individual MLB players will make more money this season than the entire Orioles 26-man roster, which is being paid a grand total of $19.5 million.
- Orioles fans have no choice but to embrace the latter mindset — which isn't so bad in the grand scheme of things. After all, the primary objective of pro sports is to win championships. Period.
- Yes, but: There's a spectrum. Fans can only take so much. Losing records and no playoffs for years with a title at the end of the rainbow? Deal. 18-game losing streaks and historic ineptitude? Now you're pushing it.