John Angelos was the chairman of the Orioles from 2020, when he formally took over from his father, Peter, till earlier this yr, when his household bought the membership to new proprietor David Rubenstein. Initially, Angelos was anticipated to stay with the membership in a senior adviser position, nevertheless it appears as if that association didn’t final lengthy. In keeping with Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Solar, Angelos is not linked to the group in any capability after promoting his remaining shares to Rubenstein’s possession group this previous August.
Angelos was hardly standard inside the Orioles fanbase. The group’s payroll shrunk dramatically beneath his management, and he typically complained in regards to the lack of monetary sources accessible to smaller-market organizations. In 2023, he advised The Athletic’s Tyler Kepner that the one method to maintain all of the group’s younger stars could be to boost ticket costs “dramatically.” But, he reneged on his promise to indicate reporters the entire “financials of the Orioles” (per the Related Press). With Rubenstein’s takeover got here the hope that the O’s would begin spending considerably extra on participant payroll, and the information that Angelos is not exerting any affect over the group’s selections can solely enhance that optimism. Baltimore’s payroll was considerably increased in 2024, although nonetheless properly under league common. Earlier this month, basic supervisor Mike Elias mentioned he was “fairly assured” the payroll will proceed to extend in 2025.
One activity the Orioles will face this offseason (although hardly their costliest resolution) might be re-signing or changing backup catcher James McCann. On that topic, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports activities just lately identified that McCann initially had the O’s on his five-team no-trade listing again when he signed a four-year, $40.6MM cope with the Mets through the 2020-21 offseason. Evidently, he ended up approving a commerce to the Orioles anyway. What’s extra, together with the Orioles on his five-team no-trade listing doesn’t essentially imply McCann was against taking part in in Baltimore. On the time he signed that deal, the Orioles have been one of many basement-dwellers of the American League. That’s not the case. And it bears repeating that he in the end accepted the commerce that despatched him to the Orioles – after they proved they have been opening their window of rivalry with an 83-win season in 2022. Nonetheless, it’s a tidbit of knowledge value maintaining in thoughts because the veteran backstop approaches free company. McCann is popular with his Orioles teammates and has gotten loads of taking part in time over the previous two years as a backup for Adley Rutschman.
In yet one more observe of curiosity, Wealthy Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com mentioned the Orioles teaching employees immediately, particularly the hitting coach emptiness left behind after co-hitting coach Ryan Fuller was let go and fellow co-hitting coach Matt Borgschulte returned to the Twins. Dubroff identified that Cody Asche, technically the group’s offensive technique coach, additionally functioned as a 3rd hitting coach for the membership. It’s unclear if Asche will change roles subsequent season, however Dubroff does point out that Asche is “revered within the clubhouse.” He has been with the group since 2022, first as a minor league hitting coordinator earlier than becoming a member of the massive league employees for the 2023 marketing campaign. Beforehand, he was a minor league hitting coach within the Phillies group. At 34 years previous, he’s nonetheless younger for a giant league coach, however he’s actually a reputation to bear in mind because the Orioles look to search out their subsequent hitting guru.
