Andrew Stetka: Development woes create clear path for Orioles

This week's non-waiver trade deadline is unlike any in years for the Orioles. Not only do the O's have the clear distinction of not really knowing where they sit on the buy/sell fence, but there's also a certain weight of importance with this deadline because of key pending free agents. Some people you talk to are fully on the sell train, while others believe this team has a real chance to defend its American League East crown. I don't dismiss that this team can be competitive down the stretch, and maybe even push for that division, but there's something to be said for building continued opportunities for the future while still maintaining a realistic outlook on the present.

The word from Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette over the last week has been that the team will try to add pieces to contribute to winning now, firmly digging their heels in on the buy philosophy. It's clear to anyone who's paying attention though, that the O's simply don't have a lot to offer in a trade that would add anything significant to the roster. The team has an already-weak farm system that's been depleted even further by injuries to Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey.

New rules in the collective bargaining agreement have made the July 31 deadline very different in recent years. When you factor in the extra wild card playoff spot for each league, it's a whole new game. The capability that teams have to extend a qualifying offer to free agents, and retain a draft pick if the player declines and signs elsewhere, has put a new premium and value on those selections. They are precious items to have, if you know how to use them. For the Orioles, that's been the issue in recent years.

I'm firmly in support of the Orioles trading away any pending free agent that they don't believe they will be able to re-sign after this season. It's widely speculated that this includes almost everyone. Perhaps Steve Pearce or Darren O'Day might come back, but we aren't talking about the team re-signing Chris Davis, Matt Wieters or Wei-Yin Chen. No one being realistic sees that happening. The simple reason I'd rather see these guys dealt, is because with the right deal, it would return a prospect or player who is more major-league ready than any draft pick. With the Orioles' history of development and drafting, I'd rather them not take the chance there.

Think quickly about how many players the Orioles have been able to develop through their own system over the last 15 years. Now think about how many of those players have been significant contributors. You can count them on one hand, or more specifically with two fingers. Wieters and Manny Machado are the lone players who have had a significant impact on the team that have been developed through the system.

Pitchers can't even be mentioned in this category. Kevin Gausman makes me especially weary of the O's developmental team. I'm by no mean saying that Gausman won't become a viable big league pitcher, but the way he's been treated and developed have left many questions to be answered. I've even heard some say that if he's indeed traded, like has been speculated on by ESPN's Buster Olney, he could turn out like Jake Arrieta has for the Cubs and find success in another organization.

Clearly stated, the Orioles are at a crossroads. It's one that could extend the so-called window of opportunity for the team, or send them on a different and much darker path. No one wishes for another period of losing like the dark ages of 1998-2011. That was brutal for the franchise and the fan base to endure.

Over the next few days, I'm sure Duquette will field a number of calls regarding Davis, Wieters and Chen. If the right deal isn't there, I won't blame him for holding on and dishing out some qualifying offers at the end of the season. But if there's a deal to be had that makes sense, he needs to pull the trigger. I can't trust the team to develop talent. There's a need to replenish the farm system now with players that are close to being major-league ready. It's not hyperbole or an exaggeration to say that this week could help define the next three or four seasons for the Orioles, and the direction the team takes for many years to come.

Andrew Stetka blogs about the Orioles for Eutaw Street Report. Follow him on Twitter: @AStetka. His thoughts on the O's appear here as part of MASNsports.com's continuing commitment to welcome guest bloggers to our little corner of cyberspace. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.