O's fans again hit with realization that looking to future is not easy

The phrase "No pain, no gain" is one that Orioles fans can relate to this week. They clearly didn't feel physical pain, but there was some distress over the trade of José Iglesias. As there was over trades of Jonathan Villar and Dylan Bundy last December and others during the 2020 season when bullpen vets like Mychal Givens, Miguel Castro and Richard Bleier were dealt.

Orioles fans came to know and like these players. They became attached to them, which is normal for passionate fans.

The reasons to keep Iglesias were pretty obvious. He is a plus defender and could stabilize the infield while playing a premium position. The fact he hit .370 and produced a remarkable OPS+ of 160 was a neat bonus. He seemed to be a key figure in the clubhouse and had the respect of players and coaches alike. He liked being an Oriole. He came with a reasonable price tag, by baseball standards.

There was a lot to like. And while team management can't promise a winning or contending team in 2021, it could have kept a player that quickly became popular with fans. Fans that endured 223 losses over the 2018 and 2019 seasons and have seen their club with a losing record for four consecutive seasons.

Maybe in 2021 Iglesias won't hit anywhere to the level he did last summer. Maybe injuries will limit him again. But O's fans seemed to have a comfortable feeling knowing they could put a dependable shortstop behind young pitchers. It all made a lot of sense.

And then Iglesias was gone.

They got a top 30 pitching prospect back, but he ranks No. 26 on the O's current top 30 by MLBPipeline.com. That is not a top 15 or top 10 player, but top 30. And no one on the roster right now can duplicate what Iglesias did last year.

The good news is there is plenty of time to add a shortstop and it has to be a high priority for the club right now. Is there another Iglesias type out there? Is there someone that can be a dependable glove behind the pitchers?

O's executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias stated it clearly when he said, "There will come a time when we flip the switch to maximizing wins in the next given season. But it's our judgment that we are not there yet. This is not fun to subtract from your major league team. But that is what you do when you're below .500 and rebuilding, and we still are."

Building. They still are. For fans, that means some pain that hopefully leads to some gain.

Some of the players acquired in trades that have become top 30 O's prospects are not yet well known to the club's fans. Players like pitchers Kevin Smith, Kyle Bradish and Garrett Stallings, and infielders Terrin Vavra and Tyler Nevin.

The Orioles continue to add pitching prospects. And while right now they are just prospects with no big league track records, they do have six pitching prospects among their top 12, nine in the first 19 and 15 of 30 prospects, per MLBPipeline.com.

When you think you have enough pitching prospects, add more, many in the industry believe. Pitching prospects are an important commodity. One day, maybe the Orioles will want to add an Iglesias or someone similar as one of the final pieces of the puzzle and they'll trade one of those pitching prospects to get him.

Part of the uncertainly for fans following a rebuilding team like the Orioles is that there is no timeline to track. We don't know when the rebuilding is over and the winning commences. When do they flip that switch? Will this even work at all? It's the American League East, after all. Pulling off a successful rebuild in this division is daunting.

But say this for Elias: He follows his convictions. He has stuck to a plan. He's not afraid to make unpopular moves. He has a vision and he's sticking to it. Pain and hopefully gain.

Wednesday was another night in Birdland when maybe the top 30 list got a bit better, but the active 26-man roster took a hit. It might be a big hit pending what happens with additions over the next few months.

Trying to be patient during a rebuilding process - one that may not even be successful - is not easy. We already knew that, but the point was hammered home again this week.