The Orioles are continuing to make dramatic changes throughout the organization, removing director of player development Brian Graham this morning, according to a source. Graham returned to the organization in October 2007 after serving as the Pirates' interim general manager and was named director of player development six years later. He had been handling the GM duties for the Orioles on an interim basis after they decided to part ways with executive vice president Dan Duquette. During his...

So the additions of Mike Elias and Sig Mejdal will bring the Orioles up to speed with analytics. The team, over time, will no doubt become one of the top clubs at making data-driven decisions. But while analytics have been used by teams to attempt to make good decisions for the future as they evaluate players, the next area of influence is likely to come on game day. And during the game. This is happening now to some degree, and maybe for some teams to a very large degree. Teams are using the...

The latest deadline in baseball's offseason has arrived tonight with teams needing to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players by 8 p.m. I've hit this subject harder than a Chinese food buffet, but hey, let's review it anyway: The Orioles have three obvious decisions regarding Dylan Bundy, Mychal Givens and Jonathan Villar. They aren't candidates to be non-tendered and we'll find out later if executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias is willing to trade them...

The search for a new Orioles manager remains the top priority for executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias. No other task at the moment supersedes it. And while Elias is hesitant to offer too many specifics, he spoke tonight of progress made through the narrowing of his list. Elias, a call-in guest to the "Orioles Hot Stove" radio show on 105.7 The Fan, said the staff has sifted through an impressive number of possibilities. He noted the input from assistant Sig Mejdal and...

It's the final day of November, which means it's another deadline day in baseball's offseason, this one for tendering contracts. By 8 p.m. EST, all clubs must inform players who are eligible for arbitration (those with more than three and fewer than six years of big league service time, plus the top 22 percent of those with two years-plus service time) whether they will be offered a 2019 contract. Teams and players don't have to agree to any particular salary figures yet; there's still...

It wasn't a great season for Bryce Harper defensively, but MLBPipeline.com's Jim Callis cautions to not get too worked up about the phenom's numbers with a gloved hand. "What is a little odd to me is the defensive metrics fluctuate from year to year with the same guys," Callis said. "Like Harper, without looking at it, had horrific numbers (in 2018). I don't know if he will be back. But a couple of years ago, he wasn't bad at all (on defense)." One metric that measures fielding skill...

The information and data age in baseball is here. It's been here for years now and we are not going back to a day when most fans only focused on batting average, home runs and RBIs for batters. Or wins and ERA for pitchers. The game has advanced way beyond those numbers. And, of course, those that work in a baseball front office are way ahead of most of us, and have been for a while now. As new Orioles general manager Mike Elias and his staff upgrade and enhance the club's use of analytics,...

There are any number of ways the Nationals need to get better on an individual basis, addressing specific needs at specific positions. But there's also a broader way the Nats need to get better, something that encompasses the entire roster. They need to be a better defensive ballclub. There's really no disputing this fact. Even though they boast an elite third baseman in Anthony Rendon, an above-average shortstop in Trea Turner ,and really athletic center fielders in Michael A. Taylor and...

Mike Elias has tapped into his Cardinals past to find pitching for the Orioles. The Orioles announced this evening that they've signed right-hander Josh Lucas to a minor league contract. The Cardinals drafted him in the 21st round in 2010 and he spent seven seasons in the organization. Elias, hired earlier this month as the Orioles' executive vice president and general manager, worked in the scouting department in St. Louis before joining the Astros in 2012. Lucas, 28, appeared in five game...

Sig Mejdal had no idea that he'd eventually be working in the Orioles front office when deciding to let his contract with the Astros run out in order to pursue other opportunities. It wasn't part of some grand scheme to get inside the B&O Warehouse. He can be described as a visionary of sorts, but not in this way. A perfect storm carried Mejdal to Baltimore. The organization surrendering to a full teardown and rebuild. The hiring of former Astros assistant Mike Elias as executive vice...