Insider Says Baltimore Orioles Boss Shouldn't Be Criticized for Lack of Spending

The Baltimore Orioles will enter the upcoming campaign in a similar situation they have been in for years; coming off an unspectacular offseason.

It shouldn't be too surprising.

The Orioles haven't had the means to go after high-priced free agents, and in the world where headlines dominate the news cycle, it's hard for the franchise to be seen as winners of the winter unless they pull off a blockbuster trade like they did last cycle.

But this offseason felt a bit different.

Not only did Baltimore have a new ownership group take over who seemed ready and willing to spend money, but their ace Corbin Burnes also hit the open market where retaining him would have been a massive statement that things were changing for the franchise.

Alas, nothing got done.

Burnes signed a deal elsewhere and the Orioles now have question marks in their rotation.

General manager Mike Elias has gotten criticized for not spending to keep Burnes in place or adding another high-end starter to replace him, something that has stemmed from how he's operated since taking his post with the team.

Is that denunciation correct?

Not to Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun.

"Unable and unwilling are two very different words ... For the purposes of assessing Elias' ability to convince big-ticket free agents to come to Baltimore or his willingness to commit to those players, it might only be fair to judge this past offseason rather than his first six, the first of four which came during the rebuild and all of which were with former CEO and Chairman John Angelos at the helm," he stated.

It's hard to disagree with him.

There was zero reason for Elias and the organization to spend money when they were undergoing their rebuild, and with the team ready to take the next step forward, the general manager handed out his first multiyear contract of his tenure to Tyler O'Neill this winter.

Sure, that's not the same as re-signing Burnes, but it wasn't for a lack of trying.

The Orioles were aggressive to get the past NL Cy Young winner back with the team, but it became clear he wanted to ink a deal with a team out west to stay closer to home in Arizona. And when the Arizona Diamondbacks were the ones that gave him a contract he wanted, he took it.

Hard to blame Elias on that.

Baltimore also did spend money this offseason, increasing their payroll almost $100 million compared to where it was on Opening Day in 2023, per Meyer.

With one free agency cycle under Elias' belt with the backing of the new ownership group, payroll has increased, the first multiyear contract was handed out and he was aggressive in the pursuit of Burnes to the point where a lucrative deal was offered and considered.

Does that mean he shouldn't be criticized going forward if ownership is giving him the money and he refuses to spend it?

No.

But he's also put together a really good baseball team under the financial constraints he deal with before, so he should be given some grace entering this new era of Orioles baseball.

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