The Orioles exist as presently constructed as a vehicle to promote bobbleheads and splash zones and a massive new scoreboard that tax payers subsidized.
Their crowd size is dictated by the allure of the giveaway, because the quality of baseball has been putrid for two years, since June 2024, and only getting worse. And if they cannot find a way to win seven or more games in this upcoming 10-game homestand, that takes them though Memorial Day – a hallmark indicator the season ain’t early anymore. Even giving away gold bobbleheads of every icon from Orioles past won’t create any buzz or hype or hope for Mike Elias’s latest misfit roster.
The Orioles begin this stretch against the Tigers and Rays and Blue Jays – two struggling clubs and the best team is baseball that just undressed the Orioles in Tampa – needing to go on the kind of run, that, frankly, anyone who watches them regularly knows will not come. At 21-29, if they were to go even 4-6 on this stretch they would need to go 56-46 just to finish .500 – as watered down as the American League, that ain’t going to happen and won’t cut it.
Since June 20, 2024, when the Orioles led MLB with a 49-25 record, the Orioles are 24 games below .500. They are getting rolled by winning teams (7-16, which is bad news vs the Rays) and 3-10 vs the AL East (even struggling Toronto might get right here), and they have no discernable strengths as a baseball team on a daily basis except for some overachieving arms in the bullpen.
Baltimore has been slightly more competitive at home, so there’s that, but has also won six times in the last 20 outings, has a rotation in tatters, a rookie manager clearly over his head and a bad fit for a team that was screaming for a proven managerial voice and one of the most listless and feckless front offices in all of professional sports.
This season was over before it started – HYER -, it is already thoroughly off the rails, and at the very least the powers that be need to make these moves, as cosmetic as they may be, to foster some change.
Buy-Out Tyler O’Neill Now; Activate Tommy Pham
Elias is a stubborn buffoon, and giving O’Neill $18M a year was always nuts. But he needs to go. He is useless against lefties, which is supposed to be his power, and a total liability in the outfield and the slug is sapped. He is taking up space on a horrible team.
He has a .189/.292/.351 slashline since signing with Baltimore before the 2025 season. He is not good off the bench. He does nothing but clog up the basepaths. Elias, admit defeat and move on. (And maybe go ahead and resign while you are at it).
Pham is coming aboard two years too late, but he will play with venom and fight (literally) and he has an opt out in a few weeks. Let’s go.
Demote Colton Cowser To AAA; Promote Jud Fabian
Cowser has no business on an MLB roster right now. He’s been lost at the plate for most of the time he’s been here. He is as bad hitting offspeed pitches and breaking balls as anyone in MLB the last two years. He is clearly shot coming off the bench, no one will throw him a fastball.
The idea that he could play CF in MLB regularly was ridiculous (typical Elias). He isn’t even the preferred back-up to Leody Taveras – that’s Blaze Alexander. He is carrying a .500 OPS and striking out over 30% of the time and rolling over or flying out when he isn’t doing that. He has a low baseball IQ. He has a big arm and no idea where it’s going.
Fabian, another college outfielder Elias over-drafted who won’t do much, has huge holes in his swing, too. But he is athletic and can go get it in centerfield and he’s been in the minors long enough and with former first-round pick Enrique Bradfield, Jr. injured like so many others in this org, give Fabin a look. He profiles as a fifth OF more than Cowser, who the team allowed to be the centerpiece of promotions and special seating sections and silly hype for a prospect with serious limitations, especially in the hands of this player development system.
Alter Bullpen Usage
This team doesn’t have nearly as much to sell off as it should. It’s mostly going to be bullpen arms. Stop running Rico Garcia, one of the few feel good stories on this team, not the ground. He came into Sunday allowing one hit all season but if you pitch him three times in four days and lean on him too hard, he will break down.
Sorry Albernaz, that’s the hand you’ve been dealt.
Whenever closer Ryan Helsley comes back (he was erratic and wild and getting away with poor command before hitting the IL) that should help.
Do not throw any decent starting arms – potentially – like Trey Gibson in the bullpen again. And start promoting the few half-interesting starting arms in the high minors (like Nestor German) through the ranks quickly. Elias cannot evaluate or develop pitching, but having guys lie Chris Bassitt waste everyone’s time every five days at age 37 makes no sense and in a lost season they need to find out as much as they can about some of these prospects in the bigs.
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