As with every other team to line up opposite the Orioles over the last few months, the defending champion Houston Astros are rightfully seen as possible examples for their hosts this weekend at Camden Yards.
In this case, it's even more apt. At the beginning of this decade, the Astros were a veteran team that began the season trying to hang onto something and ended up losing 106 games in 2011. After that offseason, they replaced general manager Ed Wade with Jeff Luhnow, who oversaw a franchise overhaul using scouting and analytics that's not unlike what the Orioles hope to undertake.