As O's wrap first winning season since 2016, playoffs are the goal for next year, Elias says
BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles entered games 161 and 162 on Wednesday officially out of the wild card race, but the fact they were in the conversation at all was surprising for a ballclub tagged with pre-season expectations of another 100-plus loss season.
With 82 wins secured before the doubleheader, the Orioles cemented their first season above .500 since 2016, an 89-73 campaign ending with a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Wild Card Game.
Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said getting back to the postseason will be the goal for 2023.
"As I said in the summer, I feel like this team is officially in the fight in the American League East," he said.
Elias knows it won't be easy. The other teams in the division -- the Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays -- will surely make adjustments. Aside from ace pitcher John Means needing to undergo Tommy John surgery, the Orioles avoided major injuries, far from a guarantee next year. And it's tough for players to replicate or exceed their production, particularly young guys who are just getting their feet wet in the major leagues.
But the foundation is solid.
"Looking at this team this year, we've got a lot of young guys that are going to be here for a while that had really good seasons. We have, in my mind, two Rookie of the Year candidates," said Elias, referring to catcher Adley Rutschman and infielder Gunnar Henderson.
Rutschman, the former No. 1 overall pick and Elias' first selection as general manager, batted .256 with 13 home runs and 42 RBIs entering Wednesday's doubleheader. The 24-year-old has also been impressive calling games behind the plate and framing pitches, and he's known to be a leader, eagerly greet his battery mate at the end of each half inning.
Selected one round after Rutschman in 2019, Henderson earned a call-up after a stellar season at Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. In 32 major league games, Henderson hit .250 with 4 home runs and 18 RBIs entering Wednesday.
New players -- closer Felix Bautista, outfielder Kyle Stowers and reliever Cionel Perez -- and familiar faces -- center fielder Cedric Mullins, designated hitter Anthony Santander and starting pitcher Dean Kremer -- have all contributed to the team's success.
"So we have a lot of exciting individual pieces to build around here going forward, and I'm excited about the challenge ahead, for me and for us, in continuing to keep progress going," Elias said.
He also made the case Brandon Hyde should be Manager of the Year.
For the first time since taking over four seasons ago, Elias expects to be able to increase payroll. By how much is unclear, and Elias declined to put a figure on the budget he's operating under.
The Orioles entered 2022 with an estimated Opening Day payroll of $43.7 million, according to figures compiled by Baseball Prospectus, the lowest in the league.
"The moves are going to have to make sense, we're not going to force it," he said. "But we feel the time is right from a strategic standpoint -- in fact, the time is pressing to do that now that we have the foundation of the top farm system in baseball and a major league team that is young and talented. And now with a .500-plus record, this is the time to make more significant investments in the major league payroll."
Those could come in free agency or via trade. Some upgrades could come from within.
Even after graduating Rutschman and Henderson, the farm system has one of the top pitching prospects in right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, and recent draft picks outfielder Colton Cowser, infielder Jordan Westburg, second baseman Connor Norby and third baseman Coby Mayo are all knocking on the door at either Double-A or Triple-A.
"I think one thing that makes this a little tricky is we have very interesting internal candidates for almost every single job," Elias said. "So, it's not necessary that we go target one particular area of the team. I think we're going to be looking to supplement and upgrade, and how that fits into the whole roster, it's going to be case by case."