If Orioles' plunge continues, they'll need to tread carefully

April hasn't been kind to the Baltimore Orioles and it's showing up in more ways than just the standings.

Entering play on Monday, with a crucial series against the Yankees at Camden Yards on deck, the Orioles sport a 10-17 record. That's 6.5 games behind New York in the AL East and 2.5 behind the fourth-place Toronto Blue Jays. 

For a young team coming off consecutive postseason appearances and favored to return again this year, that performance level simply isn't meeting expectations, even if it's still considered "early" in the season. 

One issue in particular has given the Orioles trouble, as The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal wrote, and that's an alarming lack of quality starting pitching.

Rosenthal points out Baltimore's league-worst 5.83 starter's ERA thus far, which isn't a total surprise given their underwhelming pitching additions last offseason, while also letting former ace Corbin Burnes sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks in free agency. 

One of Burnes' replacements was 41-year-old right-hander Charlie Morton, whose 10.36 ERA is a perfect example of the glaring pitching issues staring the Orioles down in 2025.

But while the pitching has been awful, we can't ignore a lack of thump from their star-powered lineup, which boasts a collective .677 OPS in 2025, good for just 21st in MLB. With the collection of talent the Orioles have all over the diamond, hitting should not present this steep of a challenge.

However, it would still be tough for even a great lineup to overcome consistently poor pitching. 

Rosenthal also broached the possibility of Baltimore becoming a seller at this summer's trade deadline should their season continue along a losing trajectory. If that scenario unfolds, the Orioles will need to tread carefully. 

It goes without saying that cornerstone pieces like catcher Adley Rutschman and shortstop Gunnar Henderson would be untouchable in a potential July sell-off, but Baltimore must remember how difficult it was to reach the point of perennial contention after years of rebuilding and tanking for high draft picks. Doing anything resembling a retool this summer would quickly alienate a fanbase that is hungry for sustainable success. 

Not to mention, the future of this organization has largely arrived at Camden Yards. With just third base farmhand Coby Mayo and the slugging catcher Samuel Basallo remaining as the next big-league ready prospects who could impact the Orioles, the fruits of Baltimore's rebuild are mostly ripe. That would make pivoting an even tougher pill to swallow.

All of this is to say, the Orioles are in a delicate situation. Perhaps Baltimore can shake off some early season rust to kick things into gear as the weather warms. Otherwise, a telling summer lies ahead by the Chesapeake Bay.