The grass is being cut, the infield raked, and the lines drawn: baseball season is almost here! Following an agonizing sweep at the hands of the Royals in last year’s ALCS, the Baltimore Orioles are ready to put the past behind them and make another deep playoff run in 2014.

Many fans and analysts around the league have tempered their expectations for the Orioles in 2015 due to their less-than-stellar offseason. The O’s lost outfielders Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis, as well as reliever Andrew Miller. The departures not only hurt the roster, but also left the fan base somewhat deflated, especially with Markakis having been the longest tenured player on the team. As if that wasn’t enough, rumors circulated that general manager Dan Duquette wanted to bolt to Toronto to become the team president; the talks eventually stalled when the Blue Jays weren’t willing to give the Orioles a top prospect for compensation, but many fans around the area have been left questioning the loyalty of members of the front office.

Despite the dreary offseason, the Orioles still enter 2015 with playoff aspirations. The team believes that full, healthy seasons from Matt Wieters and Manny Machado and a bounce-back season from Chris Davis will more than replace the production lost from Cruz and Markakis. The entire rotation – possibly the most underrated in baseball, ranking seventh in the majors in ERA in 2014 – returns, featuring ace Chris Tillman and promising young star Kevin Gausman. So, despite the losses, there’s a chance this team could be better in 2015.

Playing in the American League East certainly won’t help the Orioles. Both the Red Sox and Blue Jays revamped their lineups in the offseason, and the Yankees will always do whatever they can just to stay competitive. Even the Rays, predicted to finish last, might have the best rotation in the American League. However, despite a less-than-inspiring offseason, the Orioles have a good chance to compete for a division title and earn their third playoff birth in four years.