MIKE BURKE

Allegany Communications Sports

As the rest of Baltimore was coming to grips with the in-progress Ravens disaster for the coming four months, Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias and interim manager Tony Mansolino laid to rest the just completed Orioles disaster of the previous six months, a lost season in the middle of the current roster’s shrinking competitive window.

Elias vowed to keep that window open for as long as possible on Monday at his annual end-of-season press conference at the B&O Warehouse, with his first order of business being finding a permanent manager, whether it is Mansolino or not. Bet on not …

Mansolino was named interim manager on May 17 when the Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde, which was questionable, and the team went 60-59 from there.

Given the injuries, the lack of starting pitching and the unloading of nine players at the trade deadline, that wasn’t bad, as Mansolino walked into a mess and steadied the ship before the Orioles season went completely kablooey.

Elias, too, said he believed Mansolino “added a lot of value and did a great job with that assignment,” but that  “I’ve told him that we are going to utilize the opportunity of having the permanent chair vacant to talk to other people and learn and see who is available, who’s interested and figure out who the right fit is for this team for 2026. That process is going to include him and he will be a real candidate, but I expect we are going to talk to other people and we’re initiating that process imminently.”
In other words, keep Mansolino around until you hire the guy you really want to hire, which Elias all but admitted.

Unlike the last time he hired a manager, Elias himself has a full window of offseason this time in that the circumstances being what they were, he wasn’t able to hire Hyde until six weeks into the offseason after Hyde had lost out to Rocco Baldelli for the Twins job. However, Elias said he wants to hire the next manager “ASAP” and that experience will be “a big positive,” which, again, does not bode well for Masolino’s chances.

All things considered – the talented young core of the major-league club, the replenished farm system, the extremely wealthy ownership group and the impending improvements to Camden Yards – the Orioles job is a very attractive one and will be a coveted one.

Among the possible candidates with experience are former Orioles catcher Bob Melvin, who was just let go by the Giants on Monday, and with whom I’d be okay.

Others could be Baldelli, who was let go by the Twins; Bruce Bochy, who parted ways with the Rangers, former Nationals manager Davey Martinez, Skip Schumaker, who left the Marlins after last season; Scott Servais, former Seattle manager; David Ross, who managed the Cubs; Mike Matheny, who managed the Cardinals and Royals; Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus, who managed the Tigers and Angels; and Dodgers first base coach Chris Woodward, who managed the Rangers.

Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, who was Buck Showalter’s super utility player for six years in Baltimore, has been mentioned as a possible match since Hyde was dismissed. And don’t forget current O’s third base coach Buck Britton, who managed most of the current Orioles in the minor leagues. See Earl Weaver hire in 1968 …

Personally – and it’s strictly a gut feeling – I have long had a sense that Elias will make a big pitch for Skip Schumaker, who managed the Marlins to a surprise playoff appearance in 2023 and was the National League manager of the year. The Marlins players swore by him and credited him for changing their clubhouse culture, and from the outside it just seems as though the Orioles clubhouse could use a jolt. Or something.

(That said, Schumaker is currently a senior advisor with the Rangers, who also happen to need a manager.)

So many things went wrong for the 2025 Orioles, beginning with Elias’ poor offseason production, particularly with the starting pitching. Nor does it seem he appreciated all that backup catcher James McCann meant to the Orioles, not only on the field, but off it as well. Not only is he a good catcher, but McCann is a flat-out leader, who led by example, but was said to have spoken up when necessary in a clubhouse filled with talent and inexperience.

Mansolini said more than once following the trade deadline that it was time for Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser (ugh) to step up, lead the way and make the team their own. But as every one of the Orioles’ vaunted core is still relatively new to the business and struggled with injuries and underperformance themselves, who was there to lead the way for them?

Mike Elias knows what he has to do this offseason better than anyone does, but if he doesn’t, let’s hope owner David Rubenstein reminds him.

The offseason wish list here is an accomplished manager with stones, a top of the rotation starting pitcher, a closer and a veteran position player, preferably an outfielder, who carries clout on the field as well as off – a guy who’s been there, done that, drives in runs, leads by example, is a winner and doesn’t put up with crap.

Are there any Frank Robinsons, Eddie Murrays, Joe Carters or Eric Davis still out there?

If there are, it should make Elias’ job much easier. That is, if the analytics guy signs off on it.

Mike Burke writes about sports and other stuff for Allegany Communications. He began covering sports for the Prince George’s Sentinel in 1981 and joined the Cumberland Times-News sports staff in 1984, serving as sports editor for over 30 years. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @MikeBurkeMDT