Albernaz reveals the pull of Baltimore's rising stars and Elias's impressive rebuild.
The Baltimore Orioles made one of the biggest moves of the offseason when they hired Craig Albernaz as their new manager in late October, and the former Cleveland Guardians associate manager recently opened up about what made the opportunity so appealing to him.
The People and The Process
For Albernaz, the decision came down to more than just baseball operations and organizational structure, though those factors certainly played a major role in his choice. "To me, it's about the people around you," Albernaz explained when discussing his decision to join the Orioles.
"Then looking at Baltimore from afar...what Mike Elias has done with Baltimore and the rebuild is beyond impressive. Rebuilding the whole system, the minor leagues and from afar, that's something I always looked at and admired."
The 43-year-old manager brings a wealth of experience despite being a first-time manager, having spent the past two seasons as associate manager and bench coach with Cleveland where he helped develop one of the league's most disciplined and fundamentally sound teams.
His background in player development and analytics aligns perfectly with the infrastructure that president of baseball operations Mike Elias has built in Baltimore since taking over in 2018, and Albernaz also brings experience from successful organizations like the Tampa Bay Rays and San Francisco Giants.
What Elias Built in Baltimore
Since taking over as Executive Vice President and General Manager in November 2018, Elias has completely transformed the Orioles organization from top to bottom.
The team that once languished at the bottom of the American League East became one of baseball's most exciting young franchises, winning 101 games in 2023 and making back-to-back playoff appearances in 2023 and 2024 while featuring emerging stars like Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Jackson Holliday.
However, the Orioles took a step backward in 2025 and finished with a 75-87 record that left them in last place in the American League East.
The disappointing season led to manager Brandon Hyde being fired in May after the team started 15-28, and that's where Albernaz comes in as the organization looks to bounce back in 2026 and return to contention.
What Albernaz Brings to Baltimore
Albernaz's hiring represents the Orioles' commitment to getting back to their winning ways while maintaining their forward-thinking approach to building a championship organization.
His experience working with young players and implementing modern baseball strategies should help the team take the next step in their development, and he's known for his communication skills and ability to connect with players across different generations, which will be crucial as Baltimore looks to rebound from a tough season.
The new manager inherits a roster loaded with talent and positioned to bounce back in a big way in 2026.
With players like Henderson leading the way after finishing second in MVP voting in 2024 and a deep farm system continuing to produce talent, Albernaz has the pieces in place to build something special in Baltimore and get the organization back to where it was just two years ago.
As spring training approaches, Orioles fans have plenty of reason for optimism with their new skipper at the helm and a talented roster ready to prove that 2025 was just a one-year setback.