It’s been over a week since John Means last stepped onto the mound for the Orioles, and considering the way they’ve played since his May 5 no-hitter and the six shutout innings he delivered May 11 against the Mets in New York, that might feel like far too long.
Means’ emergence as one of the best pitchers in baseball has put an even greater emphasis on shepherding him through a healthy 2021 season, one that features an unprecedented workload spike after a shortened 2020. What awaits is an era of Orioles baseball in which executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias envisions Means taking the ball to start a postseason series — before the team has any motivation to possibly capitalize on his value in a trade.