The way in which the Orioles bullpen turned into a weapon last season was a shock to just about everyone. It was a unit almost entirely bereft of a proven major league reliever, and it’s not like the O’s organization had earned the benefit of the doubt when it came to developing arms. Add in the fact that these relievers were expected to pick up the slack for a clearly flawed starting rotation, and the chances of success seemed slim.
But it happened! The group ended up with not just one but two star closers in Jorge López and Félix Bautista; the former dealt at the trade deadline and the latter expected to be a late-inning fixture for years to come.