Baltimore Orioles Boss in Line for Season's Top Award
The Baltimore Orioles shocked the baseball world when the young team with just a $60 million payroll went out and won 101 games and subsequently the American League East.
It was no happy accident. The Orioles drafted well, developed even better and then promoted at the right time. They then filled in the remaining holes with cost-effective veterans and took the AL East by storm.
Despite a disappointing exit in the American League Division Series to the eventual World Series champions Texas Rangers, it was still one of the most exciting seasons on record.
And none of it could have been done accomplished with general manager Mike Elias at the helm.
Elias was hired by Baltimore in November of 2018 and was tasked with heading up their rebuild. A prior scout and an executive who trained and learned under some of the best in the business, including a lot of time with the Houston Astros during their 2017 World Series run, Elias was the perfect man for the job in Baltimore.
And in 2023, the fruits bore gifts.
So well in fact, that according to USA Today, Elias is in line to win the coveted Executive of the Year award.
"Rangers GM Chris Young will receive the most accolades after winning the first World Series title in franchise history, Mike Elias of the Baltimore Orioles should win the Executive of the Year award with their AL East title, and Mike Hazen of the Arizona Diamondbacks will be saluted for their dramatic turnaround from 110 losses two years ago to the NL pennant," writes USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
This winter will be pivotal for Elias as he is poised to make major moves in free agency and potentially the trade market. How his next moves play out will determine his legacy in Baltimore.
