Orioles' GM Mike Elias, Manager Brandon Hyde look forward to bright future after 'successful season'

BALTIMORE - Just two seasons ago, the Baltimore Orioles lost 110 games.

But now, the rebuild has progressed in the direction the front office has hoped.

The Orioles are coming off a 101-win season, their first 100-win season in 43 years, and claimed the American League East champion in a division that has the mighty New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

While the season didn't end the way General Manager Mike Elias had wanted, there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the future of baseball in Baltimore.

"We had a couple of really big milestones the past couple of years," Elias said. "This one was huge. I'm very proud of it and we want to do it again."

Elias and Manager Brandon Hyde spoke with the media on Thursday two days after the O's were swept out of the American League Division Series in Texas. It was their first postseason appearance since 2016.

Hyde told reporters he is still irritated about how the season ended. The Orioles were swept in a series for the first time since mid-May.

"The way it ended was awful and sucked," Hyde said. "We're wearing that still. It was a really successful season."

The Orioles' manager said his players are disappointed, watching the Texas Rangers celebrating the win in front of them, but he wants them to also acknowledge what the team was able to accomplish this season. 

"It's really, really hard what we did," Hyde said. "And it's really really hard what we did after losing 110 games two years ago. That's unprecedented."

And while Elias isn't ready to talk about plans for the future, he acknowledged the Orioles are primed to keep on contending for years to come.

"We are very focused on keeping this organization as successful and healthy as possible within the constraints of reality," Elias said. "A big part of that, obviously, we have players here who we love and we go like we wish we had those guys under contract for longer than they currently are, and a big part of the calculus of keeping this franchise healthy is examining opportunities to possibly keep some of these guys longer."

Elias didn't discuss extensions with young, budding stars Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson, or if the team is focused on adding more arms to the pitching staff.

The offseason is young, just like some of the Orioles' top players, but the front office is already focusing on next year.

"I don't have huge specific answers about what we are out there looking for or doing," Elias said. "I'm not ready for that yet. We are going to put the thought and the work into those very important questions right now."

The Orioles, who turned the corner in late May 2022, just missed out on that valuable playoff experience last season.

They took the next step and brought the excitement of Orioles' baseball back to Charm City.

"We asked a lot out of them and they delivered," Elias said. "They are really a special group of guys and they had a great season. Unfortunately, just didn't have a good outcome in the division series. It's a round bat and a round ball, a round Earth that we live in, and sometimes the ball just doesn't bounce your way."

 The Orioles missed pitcher John Means for the majority of the season who was recovering from Tommy John surgery. He returned in September and posted a 1-2 record with a 2.66 ERA, which includes a dominating one-hit performance in Cleveland.

Means wasn't on the postseason roster because of a sore elbow, however, Elias says the Orioles expect their start to be at full-go when spring training starts in February. 

"John Means is in good shape. We got him checked out," Elias said. "His elbow just kind of barked at an unfortunate time for him, but we've gotten it looked at and he's going to be fine. He will be a full-go in the spring training, nothing is needed for treatment with him, other than time and rest."

Closer Felix Bautista, who had Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss the 2024 season, will report for rehab in Sarasota, Florida.

Elias said that, even though he wanted a deeper run in the playoffs, he can't complain about the season.

"I wish we made a better playoff run," Elias said. "The regular season, 101 wins and the American League East, we were probably dreaming of that when we started the rebuild, it seemed impossible. The people here pulled it together. I think it is a historic achievement. This group of players, regardless of where else they go in their careers and their lives, I hope that the city of Baltimore remembers this group for kind of reminding the world that this is Baltimore and we do baseball here."

The Orioles head into the offseason feeling optimistic about next year, and the future, but Elias is aware that the team can't remain satisfied.

Three AL East teams made the playoffs - Baltimore, Toronto and Tampa Bay - and that doesn't include the big market and historically good Yankees and Red Sox.

"In our division, to make yourselves the favorite is really hard," Elias said. "it's going to be hard again next year too. We have five organizations that know what they are doing, that are really big cities, and we are all going for it. I don't think there is a division in baseball where there are five teams all going for the playoffs."