Someone had to take the fall when the Baltimore Orioles plunged from American League East champions to cellar-dwellers in the space of three seasons.
Manager Brandon Hyde got the axe Saturday, along with long-time friend Tim Cossins, the team’s catching instructor.
The Orioles entered the day with a 15-28 record that left them last, 10 ½ games behind the front-running New York Yankees. A stunning inability to win at home (7-25 at Oriole Park) and a devastating recent slump (2-8 in their last 10 games) were definite factors.
Baltimore had a definite disadvantage this year after losing their best pitcher, Corbin Burnes, and their top slugger, Anthony Santander, to free agency during the winter.
Compounding that problem were the major improvements made by each of their four rivals within the division.
Rivals Improve
The Yankees signed stalwart southpaw Max Fried, who responded to a record eight-year, $218 million contract with the best start of his career. New York also added former MVPs Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt and former All-Star closer Devin Williams.
Toronto signed Santander, whose 44 home runs led the Orioles last year, while Boston bolstered their starting rotation by landing Garrett Crochet in a trade and Walker Buehler as a free agent. Even the normally-frugal Tampa Bay Rays were active, acquiring catcher Danny Jansen and activating former ace Shane McClanahan after he recovered from Tommy John elbow surgery.
Age may have caught up with veteran right-hander Charlie Morton, who lost his first five decisions … More
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Baltimore, on the other hand, failed to replace the chasm created by the Burnes departure. They added aging starters Charlie Morton, Kyle Gibson, and Tomoyuki Sugano in a vain attempt to construct a competitive rotation and fading position players Tyler O’Neill and Gary Sanchez.
The results were predictable – especially after star young catcher Adley Rutschman inexplicably encountered problems at the plate. Gunnar Henderson, coming off a 37-homer season, and several of his infield sidekicks also suffered from a team-wide malaise.
Other Firings
Hyde, whose ouster follows in short order the firings of Derek Shelton in Pittsburgh and Bud Black in Colorado, was a no-name rookie with no experience as a big-league player when he was hired to run the Orioles after the 2018 campaign.
After several years marked by scouting and signing top prospects, Baltimore bounced from the bottom to the top, winning 101 games in 2023 for a .623 winning percentage. Hyde was named American League Manager of the Year after that season.
The O’s nearly repeated their AL East title in ‘24, when they finished three games behind the Yankees.
But the lack of pitching and power resulted in a tidal wave of defeats this year – even though top draft picks Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, and Heston Kjerstad have already reached Camden Yards, along with Coby Mayo, Jordan Westburg, Rutschman, and Henderson.
As a result, Baltimore’s bid to reach the playoffs for the third year in a row looks bleak.
It will be up to 42-year-old third base coach Tony Mansolino to right the ship by restoring the confidence of his players.
He will need help from general manager Mike Elias, who admitted shared culpability for the team’s poor performance.
GM Shares Blame
“As the head of baseball operations, the poor start to our season is ultimately my responsibility,” he said in a press release announcing the managerial change. “Part of that responsibility is pursuing difficult changes in order to set a different course for the future.
“I want to thank Brandon for his hard work, dedication, and passion all these years, and for returning the team to the playoffs and winning an AL East Championship. His many positive contributions to this organization and to Baltimore will remain, and we wish him and his family the best.”
Left holding the bag for $15 million after the 41-year-old Morton started 0-5 with a bloated earned run average, the Orioles may be more careful where they invest in the trade and free agent markets. But they are expected to make changed when the end-of-July trade deadline comes around.
In the meantime, management maintains that it is sometimes necessary to make changes for the sake of changes.
“As is sometimes the case in baseball, change becomes necessary, and we believe this is one of those moments.” said team owner David Rubinstein in a team statement. The Orioles’ organization is truly appreciative of everything Brandon has contributed during his tenure, and we wish him nothing but success in whatever path he chooses next in the world of baseball.”
Rubinstein bought the ballclub last year from the Angelos family but could be willing to boost payroll in an effort to turn the club around. According to Roster Resource, Baltimore ranks 15th among the 30 teams with a projected 2025 payroll of $164 million.
Hyde compiled a 421-492 record with the Orioles over parts of seven seasons.
Terms of Mansolino’s contract were not announced by the club.
