Despite adding big-name veterans to an improving core, the Orioles suffered their 14th straight losing season in 2011

Fresh off of hiring manager Buck Showalter, the Baltimore Orioles entered the 2010-11 off-season feeling good about themselves.

Their rebuild, which started in earnest in 2008 with the trades of Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard, was beginning to pay dividends.

After Showalter’s hiring in August 2010, the Orioles went 34-23 and saw improvement from their key young players:

Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Nick Markakis, Chris Tillman, and Brian Matusz. General Manager Andy McPhail decided it was time to add some veterans and make a run for it.

The Orioles started by strengthening the left side of their infield via trade.

McPhail first traded relief pitchers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio to Arizona for slugging third-baseman Mark Reynolds, who had some incredible power streaks and slugged 60 home runs in two seasons with the Orioles.

The O’s also landed their shortstop for their playoff runs–JJ Hardy–from the Twins in a deal involving two more relievers: Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson.

After remaking the left side of their infield, the Orioles upgraded at first base by signing two-time All-Star Derrek Lee to a one-year contract.

The addition of Lee was supposed to be the Orioles’ biggest off-season addition, until Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero joined the Orioles in February 2011 on a one year deal. Guerrero was coming off of an explosive 2010 season with the Rangers, posting an .841 OPS with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs.

Ironically, the Orioles got the man they so desperately wanted during the 2003-2004 offseason, as they signed Guerrero seven years after he spurned them for the Angels.

The Orioles also supplemented their pitching, adding veteran Kevin Gregg to bolster the back end of their bullpen and former Athletics’ pitcher Justin Duchscherer.

They also signed former Blue Jays’ reliever Jeremy Accardo. With a crew of veterans joining the Orioles’ young core and a full season with Buck Showalter, Orioles fans expected 2011 to be the year the Orioles’ broke their losing streak.

It wasn’t.

The Baltimore Orioles added several big free agents to their lineup during the ’10-11 offseason

The Orioles started hot, sweeping the Rays at Tropicana Field behind stellar pitching from Jeremy Guthrie and Zack Britton.

But the Orioles struggled mightily afterwards, with the veterans they signed under-performing greatly. Lee posted a poor .706 OPS in the first half of the season, and the Orioles dealt him to Pittsburgh.

Guerrero spent the entire season in Baltimore, but his stats cratered considerably following his successful 2010.

After homering 29 times in 2010, Guerrero hit only 13 with the Orioles with a .733 OPS. Reynolds and Hardy had nice seasons, but the Orioles scuffled to a last place finish at 69-93.

There were other problems, as the Orioles cavalry of starting pitching did not seem so strong.

After a promising finish to the 2010 season, Matusz went 1-9 with a 10.69 ERA in 12 starts. Chris Tillman went 3-5 with a 5.52 ERA. Jake Arrieta won ten games but posted an ERA over 5.

The Orioles main pitching acquisitions did little; in fact, Duchscherer did not throw a single pitch for the Orioles.

So what happened? Did the rebuild fail?

Obviously not, as the Orioles stunned the baseball world in 2012 by winning the AL Wild Card and stunning the Rangers in the first ever Wild Card Game in Texas.

And the 2010-11 off-season was not a total waste, as Reynolds and Hardy played key roles with the 2012 playoff team.

Instead, it appears there were two factors working against the Orioles in 2011: (1) their two main acquisitions, Guerrero and Lee, both experienced their worst seasons in years and retired after the season; and (2) the pitching cavalry simply wasn’t ready.

Things are different now.

The Orioles’ latest rebuild has succeeded at both the pitching and hitting levels. Grayson Rodriguez has the makings of an ace, Dean Kremer has solidified himself as an above average starter for years, and Bradish, although injured, has shined.

And on offense, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman are stars in this league.

What the Orioles did during the 2010-11 offseason was commendable.

They thought they had the young core to make a run for it with free agents and trade, but were not quite there yet. This winter, with a superior core, the Orioles have made some good moves but no “go for it” moves.

A stronger pursuit of Burnes would have been preferable. Lefty Max Fried, who would have been a perfect fit in Baltimore, instead signed with the rival Yankees.

Nathan Eovaldi and Yusei Kikuchi signed in the AL West. The Orioles have been connected to Dylan Cease and Luis Castillo, though nothing appears imminent.

The Orioles deserve credit for supplementing their offense and trusting their young pitching to take a big step forward in 2011.

It didn’t happen, but 2011 wound up being the Orioles’ final losing season until 2017.