Orioles opening stands above every other managerial vacancy this offseason (for now)

This isn’t how the Orioles’ front office expected the 2025 season to go. This was supposed to be the year they finally broke through and won a postseason series (or, at the very least, a postseason game). Instead it was a year that featured injuries, regression, heartbreak and the firing of manager Brandon Hyde after a 15-28 start to the season.

Although interim manager Tony Mansolino has done an admirable job filling in for Hyde, it looks like the front office is going to turn over every rock possible to try to find their full-time replacement. Even if the Orioles season is going to end with a losing record, there are still plenty of reasons why this job could be the crown jewel of this year’s hiring cycle. 

The Orioles are one of two teams with a managerial vacancy alongside the Washington Nationals, who fired manager Dave Martinez in July. But that doesn’t mean that that’s all there’s going to be on the dust settles from the end of the season. 

Orioles managerial job is one of the top options in this year's hiring cycle

Braves manager Brian Snitker has been talking like a man who could be done after this season. The same could be said for Angels manager Ron Washington, who has been on medical leave since July due to quadruple bypass surgery. 

That doesn’t even account for the inevitable surprise opening. Earlier this month, ESPN’s Buster Olney highlighted some potential managerial vacancies, where he also mentioned the Rangers, Twins, Diamondbacks, Phillies and Giants. Of those teams, the Diamondbacks, Phillies, Giants and Cardinals stand out as better options than the Orioles, though they’re also arguably the biggest longshots to get rid of their manager. 

The Phillies made it to the World Series in 2022 in current manager Rob Thomson’s first year, and they’ve already clinched a spot in this year’s postseason. While there’s always a chance that a postseason collapse could lead to owner John Middleton moving on from Thomson, he’s proven that he can get the most of his roster. 

The same thing can be said for Torey Lovullo and the Diamondbacks. They’ve hung around the postseason picture this month despite the front office selling at the deadline, and they’re just two years removed from making the World Series. Meanwhile, the Giants are managed by veteran Bob Melvin and haven’t gotten a full season of Rafael Devers. 

All that brings us back to the Orioles. 

It’s easy to see why their managerial job would be sought after. They have a young core that earned back-to-back postseason berths in 2023 and ‘24, and have become one of baseball’s best teams at churning out young talent from the minors. 

Whoever manages the Orioles next year also have his work cut out for him. While the Orioles have done a great job at getting minor league talent to the minors, they’ve had plenty of young players who have plateaued in the majors. They’ve also been among baseball' s worst defensive teams this year and will need to splurge on MLB-ready pitchers in the offseason.  

A lost season always leads to plenty of finger-pointing from the guilty parties, and this year has been no exception. Brandon Hyde has done plenty of finger-pointing in his media appearance since being fired and general manager Mike Elias’ leadership tactics have drawn the ire of plenty of people around the baseball world. 

But even that doesn’t take away from the allure of the Orioles’ job since there aren’t many opportunities available where potential managers can step into a team that has a postseason-ready core. Regardless of who the Orioles’ front office chooses, a path to success will be there. It’s just on them to follow it. 

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