Orioles fans just got a big clue as to Tony Mansolino’s future with the team

While there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the future of the Baltimore Orioles, one of the hotter topics of late has been the future of interim manager Tony Mansolino. Everyone seems to agree that the Orioles played better under Mansolino after they fired Brandon Hyde, but the difference wasn't overly extreme, and there have been a number of whispers that the front office could prefer a new voice from outside the organization going forward.

However, we did at least get a clue as to what the Orioles have planned for Mansolino when they scheduled media availability for him to appear on Monday. As Baltimore Baseball's Rich Dubroff pointed out in his recent column, the team probably wouldn't have done that if Mansolino wasn't going to stick around.

Odds that Tony Mansolino stays with the Orioles just went up, but in what capacity remains to be seen

While there is still uncertainty, the mere fact that Baltimore is sending Mansolino out to do an end-of-season media availability bodes very well for his organizational job security going forward. The team did play pretty well and responded under Mansolino despite a lot of headwinds, and letting him answer questions heading into the offseason does feel like he remains in their plans.

Where things get sticky is exactly what role Mansolino should play going forward. Yes, there is a real argument to just take the interim tag off of Mansolino and let him build his own coaching staff. However, these are the same coaches that were around when the Orioles underperformed in the first half, and not EVERYTHING could have been Hyde's fault. Bringing in a new manager while keeping Mansolino around in his old role or in a new one could have some real upside.

At this point, it does feel like Mansolino will get at least one full season to prove himself. Mansolino did get more out of this Orioles' roster than Hyde after all, and it feels unlikely (though not impossible) that the injury bug will bite Baltimore as badly as it did last year. If the front office makes some moves this coming offseason, the Orioles will be in good hands if Mansolino is at the helm.

More Orioles News from Birds Watcher