In a way, this first season of the Baltimore Orioles' rebuild is extremely important. Not so much for the final win-loss record of the major-league club, but for what happens to improve the outlook of future seasons.
Can the Orioles get the most out of right-hander Dylan Bundy and some of the underachieving bullpen arms? With the ability to offer playing time to fringe major leaguers, can they find some undervalued assets? (Outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. and catcher Pedro Severino are early, intriguing options.) And can they get some better performances to beef up their current selection of trade chips?
But in another way, anything that's happening in Baltimore pales in comparison to what's going on in the Orioles' farm system. Not only for the ongoing development of the handful of players who are getting close to the major leagues, like outfielders Yusniel Diaz and Austin Hays, infielder Ryan Mountcastle, lefty Keegan Akin and others, but also for the growth taking place in the lowest levels of the system. The Orioles' previous two first-round selections, left-handed starter DL Hall (High-A Frederick) and right-handed starter Grayson Rodriguez (Low-A Delmarva), have looked particularly impressive.
