The 2018 Orioles have always been a team on a march towards the end of something. Before this year, the destination of this march seemed so distant as to almost not be a concern. There was always another season to look towards. Whether this year went well or whether it went badly, two months ago, we all knew that the coming free agent apocalypse meant that, as fans, we would be seeing what is at the end of that road.
With the season off to a 6-17 start, with the Orioles spending much of the year with a worst or near-worst offense, with a starting rotation that has no plan other than Chris Tillman occupying one of its spots, with a bullpen where none of the three expected back-end relievers have been any good, the undesirable realization that there will not be any pot of gold waiting at the end of this rainbow sits and waits for Orioles fans to stumble upon it.