Good Morning Birdland,
The official start of the offseason draws ever closer as the World Series begins later this week. While the Orioles have plenty of business to get done, their top priority is clear:
hire a manager.
The pool of candidates is getting slightly smaller as other clubs make their picks. To recap, here is the movement so far on the managerial front:
- The Pirates promoted Don Kelly from interim to full-time manager on September 29
- The Rangers hired Skip Schumaker on October 10
- The Angels hired Kurt Suzuki on Tuesday
- The Giants are rumored to be close to finalizing a deal with Tony Vitello
- Remaining vacancies: Orioles, Padres, Twins, Braves, Rockies, Nationals
There are plenty of rumors floating out there regarding the Orioles search for a new manager. According to various reports, they have interviewed interim manager Tony Mansolino, former Mets manager Luis Rojas, and future Hall of Fame slugger Albert Pujols for the position. They are also said to have interest in former Mariners manager Scott Servais and Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, but it is unclear if they have actually interviewed the pair.
The Orioles’ front office is notoriously tight-lipped, so one would imagine that these reports are being sourced from the candidate’s side of things, perhaps to drum up interest elsewhere. Will that leak alone be enough to turn the Orioles off from any of the potential managers? Who knows.
Something we can say about this field of candidates is that it is broad and all-encompassing of backgrounds and levels of experience. The Orioles did not seem to go into the process with a preconceived notion of the “types” of manager they wanted. Instead, they sought out many different voices to see who could be the right fit. That feels like a good idea!
Without any inside knowledge, it’s tough to say who “should” be the hire here. Clearly something was not working with Brandon Hyde, and you would imagine that the Orioles will seek someone that addresses whatever weaknesses—perceived or real—that Hyde had.
Flaherty would genuinely be an interesting hire. His dad is a long-time college coach with a D3 school in Maine. His modest, but rather long, playing career should give him some street cred within the locker room. He has coached under Bob Melvin and Craig Counsell, two well-regarded managers in the league. And he is a familiar face in Baltimore, having played a part in the squads that brought winning back to the city from 2012-16. It’s an intriguing package.
Pujols would be a big swing. He feels like the polar opposite to Hyde in terms of background and temperament. If that is worth anything, he could be the answer. It’s tough to say if it’s a swing worth taking given his lack of MLB coaching experience.
Servais feels like the safety interview. He could step in and probably be fine, maybe guide the O’s back to the playoffs. But the upside is limited. His Mariner teams would collapse regularly, and the first season after his exit they got within one game of the World Series. Doesn’t feel great.
The hiring of a manager has to be getting close. The Orioles have several other things on their to-do list, and it doesn’t feel like any of them can happen before a skipper is in place. The hiring of Hyde took place on December 14, 2018. It seems impossible that they wait that long this time around. But who knows. Most clubs get their vacancies filled by mid-November at the latest.
Links
Offseason Outlook: Baltimore Orioles | MLB Trade Rumors
A nice overview of all the things that the Orioles need to get done this winter. Much of it hinges on how bold Mike Elias and his front office are willing to be coming off of such a disappointing 2025.
Orioles Interested In Scott Servais For Managerial Vacancy | MLB Trade Rumors
Re-tread hires can work. Joe Torre was a re-tread three times over before he won four World Series titles with the Yankees. So this doesn’t seem like an awful idea, even if it may not be the most ambitious candidate they could interview.
Jeremiah Jackson eyes spot on Orioles’ roster in 2026 | Baltimore Baseball
There is a path to a role for Jackson on a healthy, fully loaded Orioles roster in 2026. But it probably includes him improving his defense. He didn’t look particularly comfortable anywhere on the field this past season. But it was also his first run in the big leagues, and he was being shuttled all over the place. Maybe they can make some tweaks with him this winter and during the spring.
Orioles hope to follow Blue Jays’ example and serving more mailbag questions for breakfast | Roch Kubatko
The AL East may be the division that has shuffled around the most these last few years. The Yankees have been annoyingly consistent while the other four teams have bounced between success and failure year to year. I wouldn’t mind if the Orioles pulled off a worst-to-first turnaround in 2026.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Corbin Burnes turns 31 today. He spent just one season with the Orioles, but what a glorious 2024 it was. Over 194.1 innings he had a 2.92 ERA and finished fifth in Cy Young voting. The righty parlayed that great season into a big contract for the Diamondbacks ahead of the 2025 season.
- Darren O’Day is 43 years old. From 2012 through ‘18 the submariner was a crucial piece at the back of the Orioles bullpen. In that time he had a 2.40 ERA over 374.1 total innings, including an all-star nod in 2015.
- Eli Whiteside celebrates his 46th birthday. The catcher made his MLB debut with the Orioles in 2005, but played just nine total games for the team. He was able to latch on with the Giants years later and win a World Series in 2010.
- Héctor Carrasco is 56 today. He spent the 2003 season in the Orioles bullpen, where he had a 4.93 ERA across 38.1 innings.
- Keith Osik turns 57. He was a reserve catcher with the O’s for part of the 2004 campaign.
- Jamie Quirk celebrates his 71st birthday. The Orioles are one of the three teams (Yankees, Athletics) that the catcher played for during the 1989 season.
This day in O’s history
This has been a slow day in Orioles history, according to Baseball Reference. Maybe that will change today! Until then, here are some happenings from beyond Birdland:
1797 – The first recorded parachute jump is performed by André-Jacques Garnerin from 1,000 meters above Paris, France.
1879 – Thomas Edison tests the first practical electric incandescent light bulb. It lasts for 13.5 hours before burning out.
1907 – A run on the stock of the Knickerbocker Trust Company sets events in motion that spark the Panic of 1907.
2012 – Lance Armstrong, the decorated cyclist that won the Tour de France seven straight times from 1999 through 2005, is stripped of all titles after being charged for doping.
