Orioles Ownership May Finally Be Committed to Chasing AL East Supremacy

As we're a week away from June, it's near time to put away the "it's early" dismissals for the Baltimore Orioles.

Going into Memorial Day weekend, the O's have the best record in the American League at 28-17—one game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays. The New York Yankees are 4.5 games behind, with the Boston Red Sox 5.5 games back. 

Those aren't insurmountable deficits for the AL East's power teams to recover from. (It's early.) Yet we keep waiting for the Orioles to fade, for the world order we're familiar with to right itself, and they aren't going anywhere. This thing is really happening.

This is further evidence that the Orioles are taking themselves seriously in regard to the investment the front office is willing to make in its current roster. They believe in what they've seen and are willing to provide that extra push now. 

According to CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman, the team is pursuing free agent Roy Oswalt, who would be an excellent veteran addition to a young starting rotation. Oswalt seems to only want to play for the Texas Rangers or St. Louis Cardinals, neither of whom appear to be too interested. But, if he wants to play for a contender, the O's train is the one he might want to jump on. 

That rumor was followed by the news that the Orioles are signing center fielder Adam Jones to a six-year contract extension. FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports the deal will be worth around $85 million.

Jones and his MVP-caliber performance are certainly a major factor in the Orioles' resurgence. He's batting .311/.357/.601 with 14 homers, 29 RBI and six stolen bases in 196 plate appearances. His .958 OPS is tied for fourth in the American League. And his 2.8 WAR ranks him as the third-best player in baseball.

Locking up such a player at 26 years old, two years before he becomes a free agent, is a big commitment for the Orioles. No, it's not Matt Kemp money (eight years, $160 million), but Jones hasn't had the same sustained success throughout his career.

(Plus, as The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly points out, a six-year deal gives Jones another opportunity to sign a big contract and possibly leave Baltimore if he doesn't like how it goes over the next six years.) 

Perhaps 2012 will be the breakout for Jones that 2011 was for Kemp. The O's are certainly hoping so, and putting a huge chunk of money down on the belief Jones can be the same sort of player for their franchise. 

Production on the field aside, what might be impressing the front office even more is the confidence they see in the clubhouse. Elsewhere along the Beltway, the Washington Nationals talk about "Natitude," but it's the Orioles who really seem to be showing some attitude. 

We saw this last week, when a reporter asked Jones if he was looking forward to watching Bryce Harper play—a question that set Jones off. 

“Why are you asking me that?" Jones said to CSN Washington. "Why are you asking me about other people like that?  

"Are you asking them if they’re looking forward to see me? Are you asking them if they [are] looking forward to see Wieters? Are they looking forward to see Markakis? No, have you asked them that?”

Some might perceive that as arrogance, but the underlying point was that the O's are a team that matters and shouldn't be overlooked in favor of a minor-league phenom who has yet to accomplish what Baltimore's trio of young stars has. 

But the Orioles are also adopting the persona of manager Buck Showalter, who's challenged his team to fight preseason expectations along with the naysayers who keep thinking a downfall is inevitable.

"I said, ‘You don’t get a marker for this. You don’t get a marker for this effort’," Showalter told MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. "It’s not, 'You are exceeding expectations early, so we will give you this.' No, you created a semi-monster here. And the feeling should be, ‘Bring it on.'”

That semi-monster only gets stronger as the Orioles win more games. Ownership is now showing a willingness to keep feeding the beast. Its appetite might end up devouring the rest of the AL East.