Tony Mansolino Sets Record Straight After Saying Braves 'Rescued' Him From Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles' decision to hire Craig Albernaz as their next manager set the stage for what became a very busy offseason for the team.

There was a lot of interest in this decision, largely because some were convinced that the Orioles were going to keep Tony Mansolino as their manager in 2026. Mansolino took over for Brandon Hyde in the middle of Baltimore's 2025 campaign and did a solid job.

However, while Mansolino was in the running to remain in Baltimore, President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias ultimately went in a different direction and hired Albernaz. As a result, Mansolino was hired by the Atlanta Braves to become their new third-base coach.

Atlanta Braves bench coach Tony Mansolino (89) | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

It felt like all parties involved moved on shortly after Mansolino went to Atlanta, given that the Orioles were excited about their new manager and Mansolino landed on his feet with another team. However, that changed after a comment Mansolino made during an interview at the end of February.

At one point during Mansolino's discussion with Chris Dimino of "680 The Fan," which was posted on X on February 20 (and has since been deleted), Mansolino said, "I take a lot of pride in being able to read the room and understand my surroundings. So, I don't think [his connection with Braves manager Walt Weiss] could have gone any better at this point. Just thrilled to work for him."

He then added, "Being here, coming out of the situation that I just came from — and I don't say this lightly — I feel like [Weiss] kind of rescued me, in a lot of ways, and got me into this place. And I just couldn't be any happier," per an X post from @DrJohnDoughMD.

Former Baltimore Orioles Interim Manager Tony Mansolino describes coming to the Atlanta Braves via Walt Weiss as “being rescued” from Baltimore. https://t.co/ypKj34bAWV pic.twitter.com/iURl2aacF4
— John Dough (@DrJohnDoughMD) February 20, 2026

Mansolino's assertion that the Braves "rescued" him from Baltimore raised eyebrows, especially because Mansolino was on the record saying that he would love to remain in Baltimore for the 2026 and beyond, and would even be willing to stay within the organization in an assistant coaching role.

Tony Mansolino Addresses "Rescued" Comment with Clear Message

Mansolino surely got a lot of pushback for these comments. And he apparently clarified what he meant when speaking with reporters on February 28.

Matt Weyrich wrote in a March 1 article that Mansolino said he, "meant that he was rescued from an uncertain future" because Baltimore had already hired Albernaz, which meant he didn't know where he would end up.

This explanation is fair enough. But Mansolino's comments will surely still irk some Orioles fans.

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