The Orioles announced Kyle Bradish’s five-year contract extension over the weekend but couldn’t really celebrate it until this afternoon with a press conference at Camden Yards.

Bradish, control owner David Rubenstein and president of baseball operations Mike Elias sat at a table in an interview room that gradually filled with teammates, manager Craig Albernaz and his coaches, and other team employees. Bradish’s wife Molly, parents John and Debbie and agents Scott and Quinn Leventhal from All Bases Covered Sports Management had seats in the front row.

The Orioles were about 4 ½ hours from beginning their homestand with a crucial game against the Braves, owners of the third-best record in baseball and perhaps capable of spinning the 50-53 Orioles further from buyer mode with a sweep. Of course, the importance of the weekend series infiltrated the moment.

Bradish was in the front of the room but also had to take a back seat.

“I think we all look at the record and we’re like, our record should be better,” Elias said. “And there’s a lot of ways that it could have been, and health’s been a big part of it, but I think we could have played better and executed better and done things differently top to bottom. But where we’re at right now, we’re within arm’s reach of a playoff spot, we’ve got enough time left to get there.

“We’re coming up on the deadline, so the next several games are really important and everybody’s really focused on these next several games. But I look at the talent on this team and we’re extremely optimistic that we can get where we want to go.”

Rubenstein thanked the fans for remaining supportive through the difficult times. He described the club as being in “pretty good shape” as it remained three games back for the last Wild Card. He also referenced the 11 players on the injured list, including catchers Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo and closer Ryan Helsley.

No names. Just the predicament.

“The last 10 games or so, I’m very proud of where the team is,” he said. “We still have some health issues from time to time that we have to deal with on whole, (but) I think we’ve got a team that’s in pretty good shape, and I think we’re going to make a really solid run for the playoffs and beyond that.”

Asked later what he hoped Elias could accomplish at the deadline, Rubenstein didn’t get specific and detail areas of need, whether the rotation, bullpen or bat.

“Well, for the rest of the season, I’m hopeful that we will make it into the playoffs and we can avoid the injuries we’ve had in the first half. I think we should be able to get to the playoffs,” he replied.

“I’m hopeful that we now have the team in reasonably good shape, and we’ve got some injuries still, but we have some good replacements and others that can help pull together while the players would be getting back to health. But I’m very optimistic going forward.

“The last 10 games have been terrific generally, and you know, you can win seven out of every 10 games, I think we’re going to be in the playoffs.”

With the main topic today supposed to be the commitment made to Bradish, Rubenstein was challenged to express similar faith in Elias after the Orioles finished in last place in 2025 and currently are outside the playoff picture again this summer.

“Absolutely,” Rubenstein replied.

“He was the baseball Executive of the Year (in 2023). Widely regarded as outstanding by his peers and other people in baseball. I’m very, very happy and we couldn’t be more pleased. We’ve had some injuries but that’s not Mike’s fault. And so in the end, we’re very pleased and we’re really, really happy to have such a talented executive leading our baseball team.”

Bradish received his extension three years after finishing fourth in Cy Young voting and two years after undergoing ligament-reconstructive surgery in his right elbow.

“We see this as a very significant long-term commitment to Kyle being an enormous part of our team, this organization,” Elias said. “Of course, this pitching staff, and we’re hopeful that we have the best years of his career here in Baltimore and kind of continue the amazing success that he’s had already so far in Baltimore, which turned out to be a great place for him. And its just been a great fit for us.”

Elias added that the extension dialogue with Bradish’s agents has gone on “for quite a while.” They eventually took aim at the All-Star break, with fewer distractions from the ultimate task of winning games.

“And now, you know being a frontline pitcher, one of the best pitchers in the whole league, we wanted to do what we could to make sure that he enjoyed a career in Baltimore as long as possible,” Elias said.

The Orioles acquired Bradish and three other pitching prospects from the Angels for starter Dylan Bundy in December 2019. Bradish isn’t homegrown, but a major portion of his development came after he entered the organization.

“I might not have been drafted by the Orioles, but I felt like this is where I’ve spent my whole career and this is where I want to spend the future,” Bradish said. “You never really set out looking for this kind of career. It’s always a dream that you think of, and I’m just really blessed to be given this opportunity.”

Bradish needs more time to reflect on the journey that got him to this point, but he never doubted that he’d make a successful comeback from the surgery. That he’d get back to being the pitcher that grew into the staff ace.

The Orioles rewarded him with a $90 million deal that runs through 2031.

“Now being up here, I mean, I can’t really put it into words. I’m just very excited to be here,” he said.

“I love playing here. They’re a great group of guys and I couldn’t think of another place I would want to play. … Obviously surprised. You’re not thinking about this, especially during season, but very grateful that we were able to kind of work this out and get it done.”

Rookie catcher Samuel Basallo and starter Shane Baz already signed extensions, and Bradish made it three within the past 11 months. The window to contend could grow larger based on these agreements, and especially if others follow.

“Extending players past their reserve or whatever term you want to use, I think this is a big part of your quiver of arrows in one of the various ways that we can have a strong franchise,” Elias said. “You’ve got to draft well, you’ve got to develop well, you have to do international well, trades, coaching, development. There’s just so much to it. There’s so many different angles, and you have to pull talent from every angle that you can and maximize everybody’s talent, every little edge, and good hiring and good facilities. There’s so much.

“But these are an enormous part, as we’ve seen, of building and sustaining a really strong, high quality franchise. And I think this ownership group in particular, and my staff, we’ve really tried to prioritize making this franchise a place that players would like to play at, to develop, to come to work every day here. And having the best atmosphere, the best resources possible for that.”

Rubenstein said again, as he’s done at other press conferences, that the Orioles are able and prepared to keep spending in order to end the title drought.

“Our goal is to build the best team in baseball and to win a World Series championship for the city of Baltimore and for the Orioles. And we have the resources to help make that possible, and we have the players on the team that I think can help make that a reality,” he said

“So we’re open to doing more with players that want to do that. And obviously, it takes two parties to come together, but we’re open to it and we are eager to talk to anybody that wants to talk to us about a longer-term relationship.”

A specific number of players extended or a timeframe to get deals done weren’t discussed with Elias when the new ownership group arrived. Rubenstein said it would be counterproductive. Set a target, miss it, and be viewed as failing.

“Any of the players that are here, that are listening to us and want to talk to Mike, he’s here and able to talk to people,” Rubenstein said. “We obviously recognize it’s complicated. These contracts are not easy to get done. A lot of different moving factors. But in the end, I think it’s a pretty good deal for players to get to lock this up because I know in my business, if I get injured, I don’t have a five-year contract. In the private equity world, if you get injured, there’s nothing you can do about it. You have to just hobble along.

“You have a five-year contract or a longer-term contract, even if an injury happens, you still have the benefit of that contract. So I think it can be a pretty good thing for players. It’s an insurance policy, but also a way to kind of show their teammates that they really are committed to making this a long-term proposition.”