The Brewers and Rays have become the kind of franchises the Orioles ought to study closely.
Both teams sit in smaller markets, both have spent years knocking on the door, and both just pushed through by doing things on purpose rather than by luck. They knocked out monster-payroll clubs like the Dodgers and Yankees, and now one of them is guaranteed to win the first World Series in franchise history.
That kind of success stands in sharp contrast to what has gone on in Baltimore under Mike Elias, who is entering his ninth year of a rebuild that has gone nowhere fast. Elias was hired by John Angelos with the Brewers and Rays in mind as templates, but the source material says he has instead filled his front office with people from Astros or Cardinals backgrounds, along with his latest hire, alleged “GM” Jared Banner, who comes from big-market roots.
There was even reported interest in landing certain candidates from Milwaukee, but that effort didn’t go anywhere because those candidates apparently were not interested enough. The piece argues that makes sense, given Elias’ grip on power and his unwillingness to change course.
What Milwaukee and Tampa Bay share, the article says, is a commitment to people, not just spreadsheets. Kyle Glaser, speaking on “The Daily Flock Show,” explained that clubs like the Rays and Brewers do not simply lean on numbers on a screen.
They invest in scouting and let people do their jobs. He also noted that many teams known for heavy analytics, including the Dodgers, Rays and Brewers, still carry some of the largest scouting staffs in the sport.
By contrast, the Orioles are described as having stripped away experienced scouts who could have provided real checks and balances. The article points to the exits of BJ Surhoff and Dean Albany and says Elias treated the organization like a place where a tiny inner circle mattered more than broad expertise. It also references Mejdal’s reported instruction that scouts should not bother writing up pitchers because Mike and Sig had that covered with their models.
The on-field results, the piece argues, show the difference. The Rays and Brewers have turned pitchers into stars and turned trades into wins.
Drew Rasmussen is cited as a pitcher they helped turn into an ace, while Junior Caminero is listed as a player they stole and then knew when to sell high on. The Brewers are also credited with reinventing Quinn Priester and Kyle Hamilton and Dustin May on the cheap.
Their edge is not built on trying to out-homer everyone. The article says they maximize the margins, use the whole field and build around run prevention. Their defensive positioning, instincts and consistency are presented as part of what makes them so hard to play against, both in the infield and outfield.
Baltimore, the piece says, has moved in the opposite direction. It accuses Elias of playing top prospects at three positions, leading the league in errors and unearned runs, and not doing enough to find gloves for key spots or even for the bench.
Managerial style is another dividing line. The Rays and Brewers are portrayed as empowering strong-willed managers rather than puppets, with Pat Murphy and Kevin Cash held up as examples of coaches who would not tolerate the kind of repeated mistakes described in Baltimore. The piece says Cash has set a standard for quality of play and attention to detail that other clubs envy.
The Orioles, meanwhile, are said to have gone through three dugout leaders, each one more under Elias’ control than the last. The article adds that his most recent hire would have been fired after one bad season if the club believed the manager actually mattered.
Even with Craig Albernaz back and a new replacement coming for Matt Blood in player development, the source says the broader structure is not changing in any meaningful way. The final note is simple enough: maybe Baltimore will still stumble into a roster that can field the ball, throw the ball and run the bases next season.