It sure sounds like the Orioles have accepted their Corbin Burnes reality

It's amazing how quickly a contention window can shift. It seemed like the Baltimore Orioles had everything in front of them just 18 months or so ago, en route to an AL East title and armed with a bevy of young talent that was the envy of the game. But after getting swept out of the postseason in each of the past two years, the O's have reached an inflection point: It's time for this front office to put its foot on the gas, even if that's not the preferred way of doing business.

If there's a silver lining for Baltimore fans, it's that this year's Wild Card loss to the Kansas City Royals seems to have kicked GM Mike Elias into gear. And after years of languishing toward the bottom of the league in payroll, the team finally has an ownership group ready to meet the moment — starting with a serious run at the best pitcher on the market.

Orioles realize the necessity of bringing back Corbin Burnes

With the Angelos family at the helm, even the suggestion that Baltimore would be in on Burnes would draw laughter around the league. Burnes' eventual contract could well cross the $200 million mark; for perspective, the biggest deal the Orioles have ever handed out is the seven-year, $161 million contract that Chris Davis signed in January of 2016. And with Elias at the helm, the team has prioritized prudence, never willing to sacrifice long-term flexibility for short-term gain.

But the team finally seems to realize that the time for short-term gain is now. Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and the gang aren't getting any younger (or cheaper), and the whole point of building this sort of a core is to supplement it on the free-agent market. Which brings us to Ken Rosenthal's latest column, which claims that "new ownership has given general manager Mike Elias the flexibility to at least explore the markets for the top free agents, from Burnes on down." Rosenthal adds that Baltimore prefers the free agency route rather than seeking out trades.

Which, hey, better late than never. The Orioles probably could've used this urgency an offseason or two ago, but this team is still primed to contend in the American League in 2025 and beyond. The offense is a concern after no-showing in the playoffs (and with Anthony Santander hitting free agency), but there's still plenty of talent around the diamond. The real need is for an ace; Baltimore has plenty of pitching depth with Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer, Cade Povich, Albert Suarez and the returning Grayson Rodriguez, but it needs a true No. 1 to take some pressure off of all those names.

As luck would have it, they already have a relationship with the best one available this winter in Burnes. Keeping the California native away from the Los Angeles Dodgers is going to be tough, but if the O's are willing to put their money where their mouth is, they offer as good a competitive setup as any team in the league and can offer Burnes some stability and familiarity. It remains to be seen whether they can close the deal, but it's good to know that Elias and Co. understand the stakes.