Orioles quietly walk away from plan that might’ve fixed their Mike Elias problem

The Baltimore Orioles have hired Craig Albernaz to be their manager, replacing interim manager Tony Mansolino, and in doing so, may have given Mike Elias a vote of confidence. Even though most Orioles fans wanted Elias to be hit with the door on the way out when the team fired Brandon Hyde, he was given added power in the organization, being promoted to the team's president of baseball operations before the end of the season.

The saving grace was that the original plan going into the offseason was for the Orioles to hire a general manager. While Elias still would have final say over the team's baseball decisions, the idea of having an external source from outside the organization enter the mix and offer a fresh perspective felt like something the Orioles desperately needed.

As it turns out, the Orioles may not think that is the case. In referring to Albernaz as a "good hire", the New York Post's Jon Heyman reports that the Orioles are not likely to hire a new general manager this offseason. There is context needed, and hopefully it will be provided during Albernaz's introductory press conference, but leaving Elias unchecked in the front office feels like an egregious mistake for the Orioles.

Latest rumblings on GM search show that the Orioles have not learned a thing

The hope is that there is still a plan for the Orioles to eventually hire a general manager, but it just may not be this winter. However, if it becomes an afterthought for the organization, that would be a nightmare scenario.

Yes, the Orioles had to dreadfully make their way through injuries and regression last season, which can't be predicted. Elias' mistakes with the team's roster construction set the stage for 2025 disappointment. In no world was Charlie Morton going to be a suitable replacement for Corbin Burnes. Similarly, in no way was Tyler O'Neill going to be signing that made Orioles fans forget about Anthony Santander.

The development with the GM search, er, lack thereof, speaks to how much of a mistake it was for the Orioles to promote Elias when they didn't need to. The Orioles capped their search for a general manager before it even started, considering prospective candidates likely looked past them since they wouldn't have the final say in baseball decisions.

The Orioles now appear to be stuck with Elias, and that isn't an outcome that is going to breathe positivity into the organization after a miserable 2025 season.