The Orioles balance a hopeful present with an uncertain future

It is often debated among Orioles fans how the organization should look to balance keeping a strong core of players intact to try and win through 2018 while also looking to the future beyond that.

We see almost daily comments here suggesting that a trade of Manny Machado and/or Zach Britton could help rebuild and reload a farm system rated in the bottom third by most national analysts.

No doubt such a trade could benefit the club's future, but what would it mean for the present and the next two years? How would it play with a fan base filled with some that feel trying to win now is the way to go? These are two fan favorites here.

Here is a look at how far down the road the Orioles have some of their players under team control:

* Through 2022: Chris Davis
* Through 2021: Dylan Bundy, Mychal Givens, Joey Rickard, Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson
* Through 2020: Kevin Gausman and Caleb Joseph
* Through 2019: Darren O'Day and Jonathan Schoop
* Through 2018: Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Zach Britton and Brad Brach
* Through 2017: Chris Tillman, Yovani Gallardo (with 2018 team option), Ubaldo Jimenez, Wade Miley (with 2018 team option), Welington Castillo (with player option for 2018), J.J. Hardy (with team option for 2018) and Hyun Soo Kim

The Orioles have led the American League in wins since 2012, winning in order 93, 85, 96, 81 and 89 games for an average of 88.8 per year. The lowest number of wins needed for a playoff appearance since 2012 is, in order, 88, 92, 89, 86 and 89.

If you see those numbers and don't see the Orioles as contenders, you've missed some good baseball and three playoff appearances. If you don't see them good enough to win the World Series, that is an opinion you may hold.

Since 2012, the World Series winner has won at least 94 games each year except for 2014, when a wild card San Francisco Giants team won 88 games on their way to a championship.

The O's do have the Bundy-Gausman pitching duo together through at least the 2020 season and that is a good start to a key component - the rotation. After 2018, could others join this group? Pitchers such as Hunter Harvey, Cody Sedlock, Keegan Akin, Chris Lee, Ofelky Peralta, Matthias Dietz, Brian Gonzalez or Alexander Wells, to name a few? It could be the makings of a future rotation to keep the team contending beyond 2018, pending other additions and other contract extensions.

It is worth noting that while some key Orioles are under team control through 2018, that is also true for executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter. From the Warehouse to the dugout to the field, a lot could be different at the end of the 2018 season.

At the moment, the Orioles don't seem inclined to even enter into trade discussions for Britton and Machado. If they don't re-sign them and don't win a World Series in the next two years, there will be a segment of fans that saw that as a chance lost. A chance to add future talent.

For now, it seems the future for the Orioles runs through 2018 - for players and management alike.