Why did the Orioles go on this path?

The Baltimore Orioles have not won a playoff game since 2014.

Even with their Baby Birds rising to MVP levels, their October failures have defined a generation. Corbin Burnes was excellent for the Orioles last year, finishing fifth in Cy Young voting.

But they let him walk for a monster contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. General manager Mike Elias was asked why the team signed Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Kyle Gibson instead of Burnes.

“…I think we approach every winter, every offseason, as we’re building a roster trying to compile a team that can get us into the playoffs, produce a certain number of wins,” Elias said, per Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. “And that can come in different shapes and sizes, and there are also impacts on the future of your organization, depending on contracts, trades, and draft picks.”

The Orioles GM continued, “We take that all into account and we’re trying very diligently to have a winning team that’s going to reach the playoffs, make a playoff run, push as far as we can get but also keep the organization viable, healthy in our division for as long as we possibly can.”

The Orioles are trying to explain away not re-signing Burnes. What does that mean for the future of their stars?

Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rustchman are the rewards for the brutal half-decade of Orioles baseball in the 2010s.

From 2018 to 2021, they won only 32.6% of their games, a 162-game average of 52.8 wins.

After 101 wins and a division title in 2023, they lost the AL East to the Yankees by just three games last year with Burnes.

When the Orioles traded for Burnes last season, they gave up pitching prospect DL Hall and infield prospect Joey Ortiz.

That was a high price to pay for one year of Burnes. But they were outpriced by his contract offers from the Blue Jays, Giants, and Diamondbacks.

They cannot let that happen when Henderson and Rutschman hit free agency.

Many fans blamed ownership for a lack of spending for years.

But David Rubenstein bought the team from the Angelos family just before Opening Day last year.

The billionaire’s first test was Burnes’ free agency and he failed.

Elias’ answer points to a short-term view of the Orioles, trying to maximize the 2025 team without sacrificing the future teams.

That cannot be the answer when Henderson and Rutschman need deals.