Relegating the Baltimore Orioles
In English Premier League Soccer, the three bottom-performing teams get relegated to a lower league. This incentivizes teams and fans alike to have an interest in the teams all season long. As a lifelong baseball fan, I am tired of seeing some of these MLB teams waste fans’ energy, and be a trading ground for better-budgeted teams to grab players from. (I’m looking at you Arizona and Colorado.) So why not take a look at one MLB team that could benefit from this English Premier League system, because, frankly, some MLB teams have become unwatchable.
For this article, the abbreviated 2020 season will not be considered, as it was less than half the normal season and does not give a fair representative sample. And, for the record, the Orioles finished 25-35, with their star player, Trey Mancini, undergoing cancer treatment.
Not counting the 2020 season, the Orioles have finished last in the AL East in 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons. While they finished second in the AL East as recently as 2016, it has been a downward spiral since. 2018 and 2019 they had over 100 losses. This is a franchise that has historically let go of their superstars, all to “rebuild”. Yet, since the 2018 trade of Manny Machado, they have had under .500 season records, and are about to finish with nearly 120 losses in the 2021 season. Worse, when teams come into Baltimore, it is the opposing fans that populate the stadium, not the Baltimore Faithful. And I don’t blame them. This team is unwatchable.
With stars like Rutschman and Rodriguez waiting for a call up, how long will the Orioles be rebuilding without considering adding these elite players to contribute?
To have some studs like Cedric Mullins and John Means have to play amongst this terrible rebuild, I can only imagine what the fanbase is going through. Relegating the Orioles would not only make the Orioles more competitive but the league as a whole more competitive.
The 2019 Gleyber Torres vs. Orioles saga proves this point. In 2019, Torres hit 13 of his 38 home runs against the Orioles alone. Torres was singlehandedly dominating the Orioles pitching staff, the Ringer posed a question of how good Torres would be if he faced only the Orioles. That slash line calculation was .394/.467/1.045. Now, of course, the Orioles are not the only bad teams. Teams like the Marlins and Royals also earn honorable mentions. But at least they have won championships in this century. The Marlins understand their predicament, and they are working towards improving their front office, and even made the playoffs in the odd 2020 season.
The Marlins are not far away from competing. The Orioles though? They need to be relegated. While fans can look forward to the debut for top prospects Adley Rutschman and Grayson Rodriguez, what culture will the Orioles be subjecting these prospects to? Many teams have dealt with rebuilds or claimed they are small markets and cannot compete. Personally, the argument is tired.
The Tampa Bay Rays are a “small market”. They just made the World Series last year. They have the best record in the American League this year. So for Orioles management to trade away Machado and act like it is the dispositive factor is ridiculous. Teams like the Rays disprove this theory.
Perhaps relegating the Orioles is the only way for management to care about their failure to put together a winning team. No one is arguing they must put together a dynasty, but in the heart of the playoff race, teams are salivating to face the Orioles. In September, the Orioles will face five teams competing for a playoff spot. The Yankees, Jays, Red Sox, Phillies and Rays. This angers fans. The Phillies for example, are competing for the division and Wild Card spot. So, while the Padres must ward off the Giants and Dodgers, the Phillies get the luxury of playing a Triple-A team.
Of course, surprises happen, and some teams love to play spoiler. Just look at the Diamondbacks and Rockies of this past week. But that does not seem to be the Orioles’ M.O. No, instead, the Orioles are coming off their 18th straight loss. 18. With no win in sight. They are the laughing stock of MLB and MLB fans alike. How will personnel attract players to play for them? Worse, even when they become competitive again, how will fans reconcile knowing it is only temporary, and that once Rutschman and Rodriguez get the call-up, they will only remain with the Orioles for the six-year arbitration window?
The Orioles may be in a rebuild, but there is no ETA of when construction will be complete, and we all know destruction once more is imminent. While the Marlins have vowed to be competitive, perhaps a relegation of the Orioles and other non-competing teams should be a consideration. Understandably never in the cards, it is something to consider going into this week. And when your team misses the playoffs because of the Orioles assisting a competitor, maybe this argument will make more sense.