Baltimore Orioles

Manager: Brandon Hyde, 3rd season (79-143)

2020 finish: 25-35, 4th in AL East

Key additions: Freddy Galvis

Notable losses: Alex Cobb, José Iglesias, Renato Núñez, Hanser Alberto

The skinny: The Orioles have suffered through four consecutive losing seasons, and though they somehow managed to not finish last in the division last year, 2021 looks to be the same as they continue their rebuild. The youth movement continued as they parted with some of their best veteran players, including trading Cobb and Iglesias to the Angels. Those deals netted the O’s more prospects and will clear the path for more chances for younger players this season; more moves could be coming.

The return of Trey Mancini is one of the best stories in baseball after he announced he’s cancer-free, and he should provide a nice boost for the O’s after he emerged two years ago with 35 homers. Ryan Mountcastle is still considered a rookie and after a strong 2020 debut, he could be a Rookie of the Year frontrunner this season. But there aren’t many other things to write home about with the 2021 Orioles. John Means is a lock to be their ace, but there’s plenty of unknowns behind him in the rotation, though the addition of veteran Félix Hernández could be a solid boost.

Bottom line: As it’s been lately, it continues to be about the future with the Orioles, who have and will continue to make moves this season that will set them up for the long haul. They’re almost certain to finish in the basement of the division again, a long way away from the other four teams.