The Orioles say that they plan to heavily invest in areas that were once an afterthought for the organization; scouting, international free agents, player development. However, the speed with which the O’s can transition from the worst roster in the league to playoff contenders will still largely depend upon, as it always has, who they select in each summer’s amateur draft.
There were 40 players that heard their name called by the Orioles this past June. The team managed to sign 32 of them to professional contracts, and the earliest pick that they missed out on was a 20th rounder (RHP Caleb Kilian).