Many decisions — from offseason option pickups and spring training roster cuts to in-season call-ups and lineup juggling — affect how a team finishes, and many choices made by the Orioles didn’t pan out during a 2017 campaign that marked their first last-place division finish since 2011.
The Orioles made the playoffs three times during the previous five seasons by making several shrewd maneuvers, but this year several flawed judgments led to their losing season. Here’s a look at five: