At the beginning of August, with the Orioles in much the same position they are now, the decision to trade away two key members of the organization signaled how the front office cared more about the future than the present.
That was when first baseman Trey Mancini was shipped to the Houston Astros and All-Star closer Jorge López went to the Minnesota Twins. In the aftermath of those moves, executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said the Orioles had “a shot at a wild card right now. But it is not a probability that we’re going to win a wild card.”
In proceeding public comments, Elias emphasized his belief that Baltimore could make the playoffs. But until Wednesday, the club’s actions at the trade deadline belied those claims.
