The Orioles' front office has never misrepresented the 2009 season. It was intended to be a rebuilding year, and there is little chance of it being anything else. The pitching staff was not even identifiable until the final week of spring training, and when it finally came together, the result didn't improve the team's chances of being competitive in the American League East.
Not that there was ever any likelihood of bringing together a starting rotation on par with the top teams in the division. Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail kept his powder dry during the offseason and early weeks of spring training, stocking the roster with unheralded pitchers who were brought in largely to hold space for the wave of young talent that is expected to roll in during the next two seasons.
