The Baltimore Orioles doubled down on the leadership of Mike Elias before their disappointing season even began, quietly promoting him to president of baseball operations, sources told The Athletic.
The promotion of Elias occurred last offseason. The Orioles now plan to build out their front office, including the hiring of a general manager who will work under Elias.
The expansion of the team’s baseball operations group began last week when the Orioles hired Washington Nationals scouting director Danny Haas as a special assistant to the general manager.
Under Elias, 42, the Orioles accelerated a rebuild that began with a 115-loss season before his hiring, and continued with 108- and 110-loss campaigns in his first two full seasons. But through shrewd drafting and development, Elias transformed the Orioles into a force in the American League.
The team won 101 games in 2023 and 91 in ‘24, making the playoffs both seasons. They went a combined 0-5 in those postseasons, however. And this season, Elias’ failure to adequately address the starting rotation led to a horrific start and prompted the firing of manager Brandon Hyde by Elias on May 17.
The Orioles rebounded under interim manager Tony Mansolino, going 49-41 since May 28, the sixth-best record in the majors. This offseason, they will need to supplement the top of their rotation beyond left-hander Trevor Rogers and righty Kyle Bradish and rebuild virtually their entire bullpen. They will also bank on comeback seasons in 2026 from many of their young position players.
Injuries to catcher Adley Rutschman, third baseman Jordan Westburg and left fielder Colton Cowser were part of the problem. But shortstop Gunnar Henderson has not been as good as he was in 2023 and ‘24. And second baseman Jackson Holliday, while approaching a 20-homer, 20-stolen base season at age 21, has yet to truly break out.
One bright spot was the emergence of rookie catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo. The Orioles last month signed Basallo to an eight-year, $67 million extension five days after he made his major-league debut. The deal was the first long-term extension Elias has awarded during his tenure.
As president of baseball operations, Elias will get the opportunity to further solidify the team’s core.
(Top photo of Mike Elias: G Fiume/Getty Images)