The Baltimore Orioles are stepping into a pivotal chapter in their franchise history. There’s been a quiet, but important, shift in their leadership structure.
Mike Elias, who orchestrated the team’s rise from a brutal 115-loss season to back-to-back playoff berths, earned a promotion to President of Baseball Operations last offseason. With this move, Elias is now the Orioles’ top decision-maker.
This change signals an expanded front office built to push the team forward. They brought in respected talent evaluator Danny Haas and have plans to add a general manager under Elias.
Baltimore looks determined to build a sustainable contender for years to come—even as they try to fix the issues that tripped them up in 2024.
Mike Elias: From Rebuild to Respectability
When Elias took over, the Orioles sat at the bottom of the American League. The first few years were tough, with two more 100-loss seasons after he inherited that 115-loss roster.
But Elias and his crew leaned on smart drafting, clever trades, and solid player development to turn things around. By 2023, Baltimore shocked baseball with 101 wins.
They followed that up with 91 victories in 2024, showing the previous year wasn’t just luck. Still, despite those regular-season highs, the Orioles made quick playoff exits both years.
Expanding the Orioles’ Front Office
One of Elias’ first moves under his new title was to add Danny Haas—the Nationals’ former scouting director—as a special assistant. That’s just the start of a broader expansion, with a new general manager expected to join the team under Elias’ guidance.
This layered leadership setup looks a lot like what baseball’s top franchises do. It lets the Orioles get more specialized and sharp with talent evaluation throughout the organization.
The 2024 Season: A Tale of Two Halves
Baltimore’s 2024 season started rough, mostly due to a shaky and inconsistent starting rotation. Elias made a big call on May 17, firing manager Brandon Hyde.
Tony Mansolino stepped in as interim manager and brought some much-needed energy to the dugout.
Mansolino’s Midseason Turnaround
From late May on, the Orioles went 49-41—a run that ranked sixth-best in the majors. Even so, that surge couldn’t erase the damage from their slow start.
Injuries and Underperformance
The Orioles ran into serious depth problems as injuries knocked out key players like Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg, and Colton Cowser. On top of that, Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday struggled at the plate, which just made the team’s scoring issues worse.
There was at least one bright spot: rookie sensation Samuel Basallo. The young catcher looked so promising that the Orioles quickly signed him to an eight-year, $67 million contract extension just days after his MLB debut.
Looking Ahead: Building for 2026 and Beyond
Elias’ bigger role and the front-office expansion point to a clear priority: fix what’s holding the team back from a deep postseason run. The biggest focus? Rebuilding the starting rotation.
Key Offseason Goals
The Orioles head into the offseason with a handful of big objectives.
- They need to bring in at least two reliable starting pitchers to anchor the rotation.
- Adding roster depth is a must, especially to handle injuries to their core guys.
- They should keep locking up young talent long-term, kind of like they did with Basallo.
- It’s important to either ride Mansolino’s success or find a permanent manager who fits Elias’ vision.
- Strengthening player development systems matters, so the pipeline keeps producing.
The roster’s loaded with young talent, and their formula for scouting and development actually works. Now, the Orioles have a real shot to jump from up-and-comer to a team that’s always in the championship conversation.
—
If you’d like, I can also give you an **optimized meta description** and **SEO keywords** for this blog so it performs better in search rankings. Would you like me to prepare those?
Here is the source article for this story: Orioles plan to expand front office, hire new GM under Mike Elias
Experience Baseball History in Person
Want to walk the same grounds where baseball legends made history? Find accommodations near iconic ballparks across America and create your own baseball pilgrimage.
Check availability at hotels near: Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium
Plan your ballpark visit: Get MLB Ballpark Tickets and find accommodations nearby.
- Biographies
- Stadium Guides
- Current Baseball Players
- Current Players by Team
- Players that Retired in the 2020s
- Players that Retired in the 2010s
- Players that Retired in the 2000s
- Players that Retired in the 1990s
- Players that Retired in the 1980s
- Players that Retired in the 1970s
- Players that Retired in the 1960s
- Players that Retired in the 1950s
- Players that Retired in the 1940s
- Players that Retired in the 1930s