Elias discusses decision to move on from Hyde, elevate Mansolino

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MILWAUKEE -- Orioles GM Mike Elias used words including “frustration,” “disappointment” and “surprise” to describe the team’s underachieving performance this season, which ultimately led to the decision to fire 2023 Manager of the Year Brandon Hyde on Saturday and replace him on an interim basis with former third-base coach Tony Mansolino.

“I’m worried about getting this team back on track right now,” Elias said during a meeting with reporters at American Family Field before Tuesday’s game against the Brewers, his first public comments since Hyde’s dismissal. “I’m very disappointed with where we are in the standings. It surprised all of us that we’re in the spot that we’re in. But we’re reacting to it. We’re not in denial about it.”

“I’m working to fix it as rapidly as I can and I’m in a position where, regardless of how it affects me or my personal situation, I have to make decisions that I judge, in collaboration with my bosses and the people around me, to be in the best interest of the Baltimore Orioles franchise.”

The O’s sit in fifth place in the AL East with a 15-32 record, having lost eight straight and 14 of 16 after a 5-2 loss to the Brewers on Tuesday night.

“Obviously, we’re not playing the type of baseball that we want,” said Jackson Holliday, who had a run-scoring triple in the seventh to pull the Orioles within a run. “We all have really high expectations of what we can do. We’re all in this together and we’re going to keep pushing.”

Despite stressing the need for a change in on-field leadership, Elias began the session by saying that Hyde’s removal was “a very difficult decision about a very good man, a very good baseball man.”

He then praised the accomplishments of Hyde, who was in his seventh season as O’s skipper. Hyde’s tenure included leading the team to an AL East title in 2023 with a 101-61 record. The Orioles made the playoffs again last season after finishing 91-71, good for second place in the division, before compiling one of the worst records in the Majors this season.

“I want to emphasize and recognize the tremendous contributions and success he supplied to this organization, starting from a low point at the end of 2018, helping us build up a great talent base, getting the team back to playing great baseball, getting the team to the playoffs and an American League East title. It’s a tremendous accomplishment for which he deserves a ton of credit forever.”

Nonetheless, Elias said the time had come for a “different voice.”

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“Stretching back into early last summer, this is a team that we feel has been collectively and individually to varying degrees underperforming to its talent level,” Elias said. “This is a really good group of players. These young position players have played so well for so long together, and we haven’t seen that to the degree that we want for a while now.”

The decision to dismiss Hyde came in close consultation with team ownership, Elias said.

“When you’re making a decision as grave as changing the manager, that’s something you consult with ownership on very heavily, and I did,” he said.

Elias also dismissed field coordinator/catching instructor Tim Cossins.

He briefly addressed the firings with the team in person on Saturday.

“It was a pretty somber and difficult,” he said.

When asked why it took him three days to speak publicly about the situation, Elias said: “It’s been a pretty hectic few days. I got Tony in place and traveled up here with the team. I just needed a couple of days.”

Elias repeatedly spoke of the shock surrounding the team’s rapid and troubling decline.

“You go back to last June, we were on top of the sport in almost every facet, including Majors and Minors,” he said. “This has been hitting us all very hard, but it’s unusual for that to be so sudden.”

Elias said he’s “heavily evaluating” all aspects of the organization, including the front office, analytics department and player development.

“You name it, we’re looking at it very hard,” he said.

Mansolino is still looking for his first victory as a Major League manager with the Orioles having now lost all four games under his command.

“At some point it’s going to turn in our direction,” Mansolino said.

The organization turned to Mansolino as interim manager for the remainder of the season after evaluating internal options, Elias said.

“Tony had the combination of a lot of Major League coaching experience but also Minor League managerial experience, and so that made him the best candidate in my mind,” he said.

Elias said he remains confident of his own ability to lead the organization.

“I’ve had a lot of success in my career and I think we did a really strong job in building up the franchise into the position it was in, at least until the end of 2024,” he said. “A big point of pride for me throughout my career has been my ability to adapt. What we’re going through right now and the degree to which we’re going through it is well below anyone’s standards, including mine. This is deeply disappointing. I’m doing everything in my power to correct and improve it.”

In addition to some players not performing to their abilities, Elias also acknowledged that roster shortcomings have contributed to the team’s poor record.

“Our starting pitching staff has been a huge problem,” he said. “I put that on myself and the front office in terms of roster construction."