Cal Ripken Jr.'s interest in Orioles manager job assessed by insider

Does Cal Ripken Jr. have interest in being the Baltimore Orioles' next manager? One MLB insider has a clear answer.

Jul 27, 2025; Cooperstown, NY, USA; Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. is introduced during the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Clark Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Regardless of what any present or future Baltimore Orioles players do, it's hard to imagine anybody in the franchise's history will ever become as beloved as Cal Ripken Jr.

Even though Ripken Jr. retired nearly 25 years ago, he's still seen as the face of this franchise by many. And he always gets showered in praise and adoration during each anniversary of his breaking the MLB record for the most consecutive games played (which ended up being 2,632), the most recent of which came when the Los Angeles Dodgers were in town last weekend.

Ripken Jr.'s opinion of the Orioles' organization also holds a lot of weight in the eyes of fans. This is why it was good to hear him paint a positive picture of what GM Mike Elias has done with the team, as he was quoted as saying, “I have all the confidence in the world in [Elias]. You can’t overreact," in a September 5 article from Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun.

Apr 7, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cal Ripken Jr., a member of the Major League Baseball hall of fame sits behind home plate before the game against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Insider Sends Telling Message About Cal Ripken Jr.'s Orioles Managerial Interest

While Elias and the rest of Baltimore's front office have several interesting roster decisions to make this offseason, perhaps the most important move will be whether they keep interim manager Tony Mansolino or find a new person to run the team

It's no surprise that Ripken Jr.'s name has come up as a potential managerial candidate, if only because fans are trying to manifest this dream into existence. However, ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney poured cold water on this dream in a September 10 article.

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"On the first day he was introduced as the replacement for Brandon Hyde, who was fired on May 17, Mansolino made it clear that he was on the job in an interim capacity. But following a disastrous start and a desperate organizational need for pitching, the Orioles have played over .500 under Mansolino, and he has strong support among some current players," Olney wrote. "It's unclear whether that sentiment will be decisive as general manager Mike Elias picks the next manager.

"On a related note: What is clear is that Hall of Famer and Baltimore legend Cal Ripken Jr. is happy in his current life and not interested in the O's managerial job, according to sources," he continued.

From skippers possibly managing their final games to front office execs facing uncertainty, we break down looming decisions for a number of teams.https://t.co/dcd9vfYeT9

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) September 10, 2025

In other words, it doesn't look like Ripken Jr. will be running Baltimore's team in 2026.

But that won't keep fans from hoping and praying the "Iron Man" will eventually change his mind.