O’s shouldn’t close door on any option

aybe the Orioles will be able to muddle through the first half of the season without premier closer Zach Britton.

They have certainly done it before.

He’s projected to miss about the same amount of time in 2018 recovering from Achilles tendon surgery as he did in 2017 because of an unexplainable forearm strain, so it’s conceivable that the Orioles have enough good relief arms to maintain a solid bullpen.

Or maybe this is the catalytic event that makes the front office and ownership

Mdecide right now just where this team is going and how it will get there.

Keep in mind that the O’s already have lost serious offseason ground to the rival New York Yankees when major league home run king Giancarlo Stanton turned up in pinstripes nearly two weeks ago. The chances of bridging any significant part of that competitive gap depend on either laying out serious money for free-agent pitching or making a deal for a couple of decent starters that would cost them generational superstar Manny Machado.

Judging from all the buzz over the past day or so, the latter remains in play, at least until major league executives head home for their traditional year-end holiday break.

Though the Orioles obviously have not received an acceptable offer yet, executive vice president Dan Duquette said late Wednesday that he’ll be in the office today in case the phone rings. If nothing materializes, he said, the O’s need to move on to other priorities.

There is one other option that would send a shiver through the fan base, but might make sense over the long term.

They could punt.