Pitcher List cites an anonymous source claiming that the Orioles general manager is purposely refusing to spend significant money on free agents.
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
With every day that passes without the Orioles making a significant pitching acquisition, the fan base gets increasingly grumpier. The Yankees have landed their ace (Max Fried) this winter. So have the Red Sox (Garrett Crochet). The O’s, meanwhile, may well lose their ace, with free agent Corbin Burnes attracting attention — and hefty contract offers — from plenty of suitors.
There’s quite a bit of offseason left, of course. The Orioles have some time to assure they don’t come up empty. But for those fans who are pessimistic about the Orioles’ chances of making a big move, yesterday’s Mike Elias article by Ben Palmer of Pitcher List sure didn’t put their minds at ease.
The article, which cites an anonymous source who is “close to the Orioles’ front office,” pinpoints blame on Elias for being unwilling to spend major money this winter despite having the approval of owner David Rubenstein to do so. Elias, the source claims, wants to prove he can build a contending team almost exclusively through drafting and scouting rather than expensive free-agent signings.
The source further portrays the Orioles’ front office as “siloed,” with Elias surrounding himself only with people who agree with his vision for the team, rather than those who would provide different viewpoints. The source also suggests that manager Brandon Hyde is merely Elias’s “puppet,” and that when Hyde pushed back about the O’s bullpen construction last year, Elias fired two of his coaching confidants, Fredi Gonzalez and Ryan Fuller.
Hoo boy. There’s a lot to unpack here. But I think it should be noted that this depiction of Elias comes entirely from a single, anonymous source. We don’t know who this person is, nor their relationship to Elias or the Orioles. They might not work in the front office — or might have formerly worked there but departed on bad terms, which could certainly skew their perception. Their information could be biased, incomplete, or just plain inaccurate. Without any named sources to corroborate these details, it’s hard to take any of this with more than a grain of salt. (One detail in the story — that former owner John Angelos gave Elias permission to pursue Juan Soto last year, only for Elias to turn him down — seems particularly implausible.)
Could there be a kernel of truth to this story? Yes. We know Elias’s expertise is in drafting and scouting and that he’s long been a proponent of building a pipeline of talent from the ground up. We also know that during his six-year regime, the Orioles had never signed a free agent to a multi-year contract until Tyler O’Neill last week, and they’ve never done so with a pitcher. It’s not hard to make the assumption that Elias is wary of committing long-term finances to top free agents. We don’t have any proof, though, that he steadfastly refuses to do so as a matter of strategy.
How much stock you want to put into this story is up to you. For me, it’s very little. But Mike, if you’d like to remove all doubt, just go ahead and sign Corbin Burnes to a $200+ million contract today, OK?
Links
Elias on Holliday, Mayo and Rogers – School of Roch
Speaking of Elias, he spoke to the media about Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo. Oh, so he only wants to talk about the players he drafted and not about free agents? Highly suspicious!
The Orioles are playing a dangerous game as they pursue rotation upgrades – The Baltimore Banner
As Jon Meoli points out, the Orioles faced similar criticism most of last winter for failing to add a starting pitcher…and then they traded for Corbin Burnes on Feb. 1. Let’s give it a little more time, shall we?
Does Jackson Holliday have a firm hold on the second base job? – Steve Melewski
Heck, some fans though Jackson Holliday should have been the starting second baseman last Opening Day. I’d say his chances are much better this time around.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! One member of the 2024 Orioles has a birthday today: outfielder Austin Slater turns 32. Slater batted .246/.342/.333 in 33 games for the O’s after they acquired him at the trade deadline, starting mostly against lefties. He has since signed with the White Sox. Other former Orioles with Dec. 13 birthdays are right-handers Carson Fulmer (31) and the late Billy Loes (b. 1929, d. 2010), and the late infielder Hank Majeski (b. 1916, d. 1991).
The Orioles have made a bunch of free agent signings on this date in history. In 1996, they signed longtime A’s shortstop Mike Bordick, officially paving the way for Cal Ripken Jr. to move back to third base after 15 years at short. Bordick handled the position for the next six years for the Orioles, minus a two-month excursion with the Mets in 2000.
In 2005, the O’s signed veteran catcher Ramón Hérnandez to a four-year deal to take over for Javy López as their primary backstop. Hérnandez had a strong debut season with the Birds followed by two so-so years before the O’s traded him to make room for top catching prospect Matt Wieters.
In 2010, the O’s re-signed right-hander Koji Uehara, who had spent his first two MLB seasons with the Birds after a long career in Japan. Uehara had been the Orioles’ closer in 2009 but went on to spend 2010 in a setup role before the O’s traded him to the Rangers for Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter.
And in 2012, the Orioles re-signed outfielder Nate McLouth, who’d been one of their out-of-nowhere contributors in that stellar, 93-win season. McLouth’s offense dipped a bit in 2013 but he did post a 30-steal season before spending his final MLB season with the Nationals.