How many times have we heard a manager or coach at the end of a season that ended too soon say something like, “What I’ll miss most is the feeling and team chemistry team we had.”
That same manager or coach then goes on to say, “We’ll build off this, but it won’t be exactly the same. There will be changes in personnel. It just won’t be the same.”
Inherent in that point of view is acknowledgement that the team intends to come back stronger, deeper and more tested. But what the team never knows is how that new group will bond and create a unique chemistry the following season.
We don’t have much experience around these parts with the unintended consequences of a rebuild. In the years after he took over as general manager of the Orioles, Mike Elias often lauded his predecessor Dan Duquette for not leaving him with a bare cupboard. Keegan Akin, Félix Bautista, Austin Hays, Dean Kremer, John Means, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, Grayson Rodriguez, Anthony Santander and Dillon Tate were all here and have played a significant role in turning the franchise around. Even Dylan Bundy, drafted by Andy MacPhail’s group in 2011, was still here. Elias flipped him for Kyle Bradish.
Of course, the change in the club’s fortunes was more than a product of what those holdovers were able to accomplish. It really wasn’t until Elias’ high draft picks made it to the big club that things really started to spin in an entirely different direction. It started in the last four months of 2022 once Adley Rutschman became a regular at the big league level. And then this new culture really took root when Gunnar Henderson was added to the mix in a full-time fashion in 2023.
Since last year, we’ve also seen the next wave of prospects beyond Henderson and Rutschman, including Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, Kyle Stowers and Jordan Westburg. There is also major buzz surrounding Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo.
But, make no mistake about it — Hays, Mountcastle, Mullins and Santander in particular were vitally important to the huge strides the Orioles made.
I mentioned the unintended consequences of a rebuild. Unfortunately, of that core four, the only one enjoying a productive year is Santander. Hays and Mullins both got off to horrendous starts. Mountcastle started strong and has had his moments, but overall his career really has not been what was expected from the former first-round pick.
Underwhelming seasons for Hays, Mountcastle and Mullins came at key junctures in their careers. They saw the team increasingly try to wedge in younger players in hopes that the youngsters would produce better results than the veterans.
These three players all handled their decreased roles with class publicly. Privately, I am sure all three are or were frustrated with their playing time. Fewer at-bats equate to fewer opportunities to better their status and buttress their ability to earn lucrative contracts down the line.
What you have is a team of players whose oars are perhaps not working in the same direction.
Hays was traded for a necessary bullpen addition in the person of hard-throwing right-hander Seranthony Domínguez. It’s more or less common knowledge that Mountcastle and Mullins are being shopped, because the club doesn’t want to part with Basallo, Holliday and Mayo for the necessary fixes.
Zach Eflin has been added to the rotation. He’ll help, but we know Elias knows what his team needs — another impact starting pitcher, another reliever and also a veteran right-handed hitter.
The deadline is 6 p.m. on Tuesday. It’ll be fascinating to watch how Elias goes about making this team strong enough to make a really serious run. It may be even more fascinating to watch if the moves add to a winning team chemistry, but the truth is nobody knows exactly how that’ll play out.
Photo Credits: Kenya Allen/PressBox