The one-time Orioles ace exited his last start with elbow discomfort.

A pitcher walking off the mound with a trainer is a sight no one wants to see.

It usually leads to a prolonged absence for that pitcher and can put a franchise in a bind in the blink of an eye.

The Arizona Diamondbacks got a taste of that Sunday when Corbin Burnes motioned to the dugout after throwing his 70th pitch of the game.

The former Baltimore Orioles starter exuded frustration as he left the field, and appeared to say something about his elbow.

He’s seeking a second opinion after undergoing an MRI, but any baseball fan knows that elbow issues for a pitcher are never easy to deal with.

If Burnes is out for a significant amount of time, his six-year, $210 million contract becomes a burden for the Diamondbacks.

Hindsight says the Orioles losing Burnes last offseason means they dodged a bullet, and his injury might say something about the risk of signing a pitcher to a large contract.

However, it doesn’t excuse the fact that Baltimore’s inability to re-sign Burnes was a failure. When a team has star players, its utmost priority should be to keep those players. The Orioles getting one year of Burnes’ services isn’t something to be proud of.

It was a great season, one in which Burnes started for the American League in the All-Star Game and finished fifth in AL Cy Young Award voting. But it was only one season, and that has to be a black mark on the front office, even if they potentially saved years of payroll headaches.

Orioles can’t afford another butchered offseason

There’s no denying that last offseason has significantly contributed to the Orioles’ brutal year so far.

Mike Elias did not do enough to supplement the talented young roster with adequate replacements for Burnes and Anthony Santander.

Baltimore’s starting pitching has been among the worst in baseball. Although the pitching is turning a corner, the Orioles would undoubtedly be in a better position had they retained Burnes.

It’s close to being a complete waste of a season in a competitive window that should see the Orioles compete in the playoffs regularly.

Another offseason without multiple impact additions would set Baltimore back even further. The right manager needs to be hired as well, a gigantic decision for the O’s.

Sure, the Orioles should use some caution when evaluating contract offers for starting pitchers. But trying to predict potential injury or performance issues isn’t how an MLB front office should conduct its free agent analysis. If there’s a legitimate chance to improve the rotation in any way, the O’s should strongly consider it.