Orioles’ claims that Tony Mansolino is a real managerial candidate are simply unbelievable

The Baltimore Orioles are already confusing people with their hiring process for a new manager. Since Brandon Hyde’s firing in May after a 15-28 start to the 2025 season, constant speculation has surrounded the Orioles about what would presumably become MLB’s most coveted job opening following the season.

Baltimore’s interim manager, Tony Mansolino, surely has something to say about the vacancy after leading the Orioles to a 60-59 record, and it’s worth noting that Baltimore’s clubhouse has thrown its support behind the idea of Mansolino becoming the full-time manager in 2026.

That’s a possibility that president of baseball operations Mike Elias and Baltimore’s front office says they are considering, but their actions tell a different story entirely.

Orioles brass appears to be disingenuously catering to Tony Mansolino

On September 29, the day after the end of Baltimore’s season, Elias announced to the press that the Orioles would immediately be embarking on an “intensive search for a new skipper,” per MLB.com’s Jake Rill.

Weirdly, Elias also asserted that Baltimore’s search-and-hire process would feature Mansolino as a candidate.

“I've told (Mansolino) that we are going to utilize the opportunity of having the permanent chair vacant to talk to other people and learn and see who is available, who's interested, and figure out who the right fit is for this team for 2026,” Elias said, per Rill. “That process is going to include him, and he will be a real candidate. But I expect we are going to talk to other people, and we're initiating that process imminently.”

Right, so Elias and Baltimore’s front office consider Mansolino a “real candidate”, but they are going to talk to every other possible outside candidate before they consider hiring the man who triumphantly won over the Orioles players and repaired a sinking ship in 2025? Make it make sense.

Even if you choose to believe that Elias and Co. do view Mansolino as a candidate, this wasn’t the ideal way to conduct things. If anything, what would have been a more professional and logical approach would have been to come out and stand behind Mansolino as the leading candidate, suggesting that although Baltimore would be looking around, it would take an unexpectedly perfect candidate for the front office to move on from Mansolino in favor of someone else.

Instead, Elias sort of just threw Mansolino’s name on the end of a statement about how they’re looking elsewhere, which was not only disingenuous but didn't add up for Orioles fans eager to find out who will be the next leader of their team.

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