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The Orioles made their choice for manager official on Monday afternoon, announcing that recent Guardians bench coach/associate manager Craig Albernaz is the 21st manager in O’s history. Albernaz, 42, is the latest manager to follow the catcher-to-manager pipeline after nearly a decade of play in the minors and close to a decade of coaching in the minors and majors.
For this week’s survey, the question is simple. How do you feel about the hire? The choices in the poll below are classic letter grades like from our school days:
Albernaz comes with a reputation for being a hard worker and a relationship builder both with his players and with his front office. Establishing himself with the existing core of Orioles position players is surely going to be an important factor in whether the team can return to serious contention for a World Series title. Pretty much everybody who’s coming back from 2025 is going to have to do better for the team to win again.
If you wanted someone to manage the team who’s already been around the block in the majors, this may not be the most exciting hire. Others might have gotten interested in the reported consideration of future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, a guy who, probably even more than any experienced MLB manager, could speak to what kind of work and mindset it takes to get the most out of your talent.
Let us know how you voted and what went into your choice in the comments below.
