The Orioles declared the dismissal of manager Brandon Hyde. Tony Mansolino, the third base coach, will take over as temporary manager. Tim Cossins, the Major League field coordinator and catching teacher, was also fired, further upending the coaching staff.
“Brandon Hyde is someone I have come to know and deeply admire, not only for his extensive knowledge of baseball, but also for his exceptional leadership as a manager,” Orioles owner David Rubenstein said in the club’s official media statement. “I am sincerely grateful for his significant accomplishments over the past six years, which have greatly benefited both the Orioles and the city of Baltimore. However, as is sometimes the case in baseball, change becomes necessary, and we believe this is one of those moments. The Orioles organization is truly appreciative of everything Brandon has contributed during his tenure, and we wish him nothing but success in whatever path he chooses next in the world of baseball. Brandon is a man of great character, and we thank him for his dedication and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
Two months ago, when the O’s started the 2025 season as a serious contender to make the playoffs for the third consecutive year, today’s news would have seemed unthinkable. Regretfully, Baltimore has been probably baseball’s biggest letdown this season, struggling to a 15-28 record right out of the gate. Hyde’s firing follows the Rockies’ firing of Bud Black and the Pirates’ firing of Derek Shelton, and three of the four teams with 15 or fewer wins this season have already had manager changes in the last two weeks.
Orioles GM Mike Elias acknowledged his own role in the team’s struggles, noting in the press release that “as the head of baseball operations, the poor start to our season is ultimately my responsibility. Part of that responsibility is pursuing difficult changes in order to set a different course for the future. I want to thank Brandon for his hard work, dedication, and passion all these years, and for returning the team to the playoffs and winning an AL East Championship. His many positive contributions to this organization and to Baltimore will remain, and we wish he and his family the best.”
Hyde was first named as the Orioles’ skipper during the 2018-19 offseason, just after Mike Elias was recruited as the club’s new general manager. Before Baltimore made a somewhat unexpectedly early return to competitive baseball in 2022 with an 83-79 record, the two became the faces of the multi-year reconstruction process that saw the O’s endure three miserable losing seasons in 2019–21. Hyde won AL Manager of the Year for that successful season, which foreshadowed the Orioles’ AL East championship and a 101-win season in 2023. A wild card berth in 2024 and 91 victories followed that incredible season.
However, each of those playoff runs ended in a single victory, much less a series triumph. The O’s had a 33-33 record following the All-Star break, compared to a 58-38 record in the first half, indicating significant weaknesses in their foundation even before they were crushed by the Royals in the 2024 Wild Card Series. Nevertheless, it was anticipated that Rubenstein, in his first offseason as the club’s owner, would be willing to increase payroll in order to supplement the pitching assistance that the Orioles required as the last pieces of the puzzle, given the abundance of position player talent already present as the team’s core.
Rather, the Orioles made more conservative spending decisions, and their primary pitching signings were Charlie Morton, a longstanding veteran, and Tomoyuki Sugano, a one-year investment who was making his MLB debut after a lengthy career in Japan. Sugano has done well, but Morton’s terrible performance cost him his spot in the rotation, which added to Baltimore’s already long list of problems. The Orioles’ rotation and bullpen pitching staff is at or near the bottom of the league in the majority of key statistical categories as a result of injuries and poor play.
Since nearly every player in the lineup has regressed from their 2024 stats, the attacking side has seen more concerning outcomes. Gunnar Henderson was placed on the injured list at the beginning of the season, and losing Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser to injuries hasn’t helped either. However, health issues don’t account for Ryan Mountcastle’s or offseason newcomer Tyler O’Neill’s poor performance, or why Adley Rutschman’s output has plummeted since the middle of 2024.
Naturally, it’s unclear how much of this is truly Hyde’s fault because it’s clear that Hyde wasn’t the one who added or didn’t add crucial parts to the roster. It is also reasonable to presume that Hyde and the front office, not only the captain, made choices regarding playing time (i.e., how much or how frequently the young, up-and-coming players were included in the lineup).
Even though Hyde’s position appeared secure, Baltimore’s coaching staff had a number of changes during the previous season, suggesting that higher management thought some adjustments were required. Additionally, Rubenstein, Elias, and company could have believed that a managerial change was urgently needed in order to see what the Orioles might salvage from the season, given the high expectations and the severity of the team’s terrible start.
As the 42-year-old goes on his first Major League managerial assignment, the circumstance places more strain on Mansolino. Due to manager Terry Francona’s medical vacation, the team’s staff was reorganized in 2020, and Mansolino’s years of management expertise at various levels of Cleveland’s farm system earned him a temporary position as the major league third base coach. Mansolino was signed by the Orioles to be their new third base coach in 2020, which turned up to be his final season in Cleveland.
Mansolino will have a strong case to be the team’s next full-time manager in 2026 if he can turn the O’s around. What today’s revelation implies for Elias, who may be on the hot seat himself in the aftermath of what now might be an abrupt end to the Orioles’ competitive window, is perhaps more significant than the uncertainties surrounding the managerial situation. Although Elias wasn’t employed by Rubenstein himself, it would be much more shocking to fire the creator of what appears to be a solid core of talent than it would be to fire Hyde.
With a 421-492 record over portions of seven seasons, Hyde ends his stint. He will depart Baltimore with Cossins, whom Bob Nightengale of USA Today said was a personal buddy of the former captain. Before joining the Orioles in the 2018–19 offseason, Cossins collaborated with Hyde in the Cubs organization. Cossins has been a part of the Orioles staff throughout the duration of Hyde’s employment.
