This September, Orioles slugger Mark Trumbo finds himself in an unfamiliar situation.
He'll be ending the 2016 season with his fourth different club in as many years, and the previous three were complete non-entities at the end of the regular season. The 2013 Angels were also-rans from the jump, never holding a winning record after Opening Day. The disastrous 2014 Diamondbacks fell two games shy of the 100-loss mark. And the 2015 Mariners were already out of the pennant chase by the time they acquired Trumbo in June, ultimately limping to the finish line of a 76-86 season. For those clubs, September meant nothing more than playing out the string, watching wistfully from the distance as more talented teams geared up for the postseason hunt.
This year, the shoe is on the other foot for Trumbo and the playoff-hopeful Orioles.
The O's entered September in the thick of a postseason battle, going into the final month with a claim on an American League Wild Card slot while lingering in the AL East race for good measure.
