Orioles announce hiring of Craig Albernaz as manager

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles’ search for a new manager is over.

Baltimore has hired Cleveland associate manager Craig Albernaz to become its skipper, the club announced Monday.

"We are elated to welcome Craig Albernaz as the next manager of the Orioles and our leader on the field," O's president of baseball operations Mike Elias said. "Craig has built an exemplary career across multiple successful organizations and brings a tremendous amount of experience, knowledge, and talent to our organization and to this new challenge.

"We believe he is the right person at the right time to elevate our baseball operations and guide our team back to the playoffs and a World Series championship."

Albernaz, who turns 43 on Thursday, spent the past two seasons on the Guardians’ coaching staff. His lone managerial experience came while serving in the Rays’ Minor League system, where he was the manager for Single-A short-season Hudson Valley in 2017, then for Single-A Bowling Green in ‘18.

"I am deeply honored and humbled to join the storied Baltimore Orioles organization," Albernaz said. "This is a tremendous honor, and I'm grateful to Mike Elias and the entire Orioles team for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading this talented club."

Despite a lack of experience as a skipper, Albernaz has been a popular target for MLB managerial openings in recent years.

Last offseason, Albernaz was a finalist for both the White Sox and Marlins manager openings. But he withdrew from consideration for both, opting instead to stay in his role under manager Stephen Vogt in Cleveland.

“I was just very humbled to even be considered for both spots,” Albernaz told MLB.com’s Mandy Bell at the time. “I just want to be around great people and where I can learn and grow, continue to get better. … Ultimately, just to be around this [Guardians] group, the players, it doesn't get better for me.”

The Guards were one of the American League’s top teams during Albernaz’s time on their staff. They won the AL Central each of the past two seasons, going 92-69 and reaching the AL Championship Series in 2024, then finishing 88-74 this year and losing to the Tigers in the AL Wild Card Series.

Albernaz, a former Minor League catcher from 2006-14, also spent some time in San Francisco, working as the Giants’ bullpen and catching coach from 2020-23. He was hired by the Guardians to be their bench coach, then was promoted to associate manager last offseason.

Now, Albernaz will be tasked with trying to help turn around an Orioles team that greatly underperformed in 2025. After back-to-back postseason appearances in ‘23 and ‘24 -- including a 101-victory, AL East-winning campaign in the former -- the O’s went 75-87 and finished in last place in the division this year.

On May 17, Baltimore fired manager Brandon Hyde following a 15-28 start, ending the 2023 AL Manager of the Year’s tenure with the club early in his seventh season at the helm. Third-base coach Tony Mansolino was promoted to interim manager and then went 60-59.

Albernaz will be only the second manager hired by Elias, who became the Orioles’ GM in November 2018, and then was promoted to president of baseball operations prior to the ‘25 season.

The O’s are looking for an immediate turnaround in 2026, which they feel is possible due to the strong core still in place on their roster. They’ll report to Spring Training with players such as shortstop Gunnar Henderson, catcher Adley Rutschman, infielders Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg, outfielder Colton Cowser and others aiming to lead the team to improved results.