And truth be told, they could be in a similar position next season, where we have blocked prospects that are highly thought of but not untouchable.
We could absolutely follow this model next year where we extend our young guys, ride out Bradish and GrayRod, and make a fair trade for a top-notch one-year rental of a starting pitcher with our blocked prospects that aren't off limits. This concept wouldn't last forever - our minor-league depth will graduate and we'll need to replenish it - but if you have a line-up with Adley/Gunnar/Holliday/Cowser/Kjerstad/Mayo/Basallo/Westburg down the line, we may view our future Ortiz/Hall equivalents as trade chips more than future Orioles.