Mike Elias Breaks Silence: Exhaustive Assessment After Orioles’ Decline
Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias finally spoke about the decision to remove manager Brandon Hyde. Elias announced that a complete evaluation is underway to determine the causes of the team’s surprising decline.
Going back to last June, we were at the top of the sport in almost every aspect, including the majors and the minors. Now we find ourselves where we are. This has affected us all a lot, but it’s unusual for it to be so sudden.
Mike Elias, Orioles General Manager
Elias fired Hyde on Saturday, and since then, only the players and interim manager Tony Mansolino had answered reporters’ questions about the decision. The Orioles, who won a total of 192 games between 2023 and 2024, began Tuesday in last place in the American League East with the fourth-worst record (15-31) in the majors.
Elias praised Hyde for bringing the Orioles back into contention, but stated that the time had come for a new voice. Baltimore has had a 0-3 record since Mansolino was promoted from third base coach.
I want to emphatically credit (Hyde) for the wonderful job he did and the skillset he has. I am sure he will continue and have a fantastic career. It’s very endemic to sports. After a certain number of years, sometimes organizations try something different, and that’s what happened.
Mike Elias, Orioles General Manager
When asked why he waited so long to talk about the decision, Elias replied that it had been a very hectic few days. “I put Tony in his place and traveled here with the team. I just needed a couple of days,” he explained.
Hyde was named American League Manager of the Year in 2023 after leading the Orioles to a 101-61 record and their first division title since 2014. Baltimore followed up with a 91-71 record and a return to the playoffs as a wild card last year, though it struggled with a 34-38 record to end the season.
This year, the Orioles have had a disappointing performance despite maintaining the young core that fueled the franchise’s resurgence.
I am in the process of thoroughly evaluating everything we do throughout the entire organization, including the main office, the analysis department, player development. Whatever it is, we are analyzing it very closely.
Mike Elias, Orioles General Manager
Elias added that the main focus is to stabilize the team, improve the game on the field, and put this group of players back on the right track.
The Orioles began Tuesday with an ERA of 5.53, which was only better than Colorado’s (5.85), the worst in the league. Baltimore added veteran Japanese pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, 41-year-old Charlie Morton, and 37-year-old Kyle Gibson on one-year contracts in the offseason to try to compensate for the loss of Corbin Burnes, who signed a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Sugano is 4-3 with an ERA of 3.08, but Morton is 0-7 with an ERA of 7.68 and is currently working from the bullpen. Gibson was released after going 0-3 with an ERA of 16.78.
Baltimore’s offensive struggles are an even bigger surprise.
The Orioles began Tuesday ranked 25th in the majors in runs (173) after finishing fourth in that category last year and seventh in 2023. The Orioles were also 25th in batting average (.230) and 18th in slugging percentage (.388) after being in the top 10 in both categories in each of the last two years.
I think I’ve made it clear that our pitching staff, our starting staff, has been a big problem. I attribute that to myself and the front office in terms of building the roster. The position player group, again, we haven’t had perfect health, but this is a universally praised group and (has) had a lot of success. There’s some underperformance that’s going on there, and that’s something we need to address through player development, through coaching.
Mike Elias, Orioles General Manager
Elias was confident in being able to help Baltimore recover. He took over when the Orioles were coming off a 47-115 season in 2018 and hired Hyde a month later.
Now, he will try again, without Hyde.
I think a great source of pride for me throughout my career has been my ability to adapt in a sport where you have to. What we are going through now and the degree to which we are going through it is far below anyone’s standards, including my own. This is deeply disappointing. I am doing everything in my power to correct it and improve it in the future.
Mike Elias, Orioles General Manager
