Several Baltimore Orioles Employees Laid Off Ahead Of Potential MLB Lockout

The Baltimore Orioles have made some changes to their business operations department ahead of a potential MLB lockout in 2027, laying off over two dozen employees including Mr. Splash and the team's mascot, Oriole Bird.

The cuts come as a surprise to many given that owner David Rubenstein who bought the team in March 2024 from the Angelos family expressed his openness to spending whenever needed.

For now, the Orioles remain tight-lipped as to the exact reason why these cuts occurred with a team spokesperson saying the club doesn't comment on employee matters, according to The Athletic and Yahoo Sports.

Oriole Bird and Mr. Splash played a crucial role in the overall fan experience at Camden Yards, keeping fans engaged even when the team's performance on the field didn't necessarily warrant spending hard-earned money.

Mr. Splash, as his name would suggest, sprayed fans with water in Baltimore's "Bird Bath" section as a way to get the crowd going after extra-base hits. The Athletic also claims that the layoffs trickled down into ticket sales, graphic design and concessions all of which contributed to the atmosphere at the ballpark as well.

No further layoffs are planned at the moment per an internal memo sent to workers by president of business operations Catie Griggs which The Baltimore Sun first obtained, according to The Baltimore Banner.

"Some of the people leaving have been here for more than a decade, others for a much shorter time, and every one of them was part of our team. To many of you, they are friends as well as coworkers," Griggs said. "For those of you who have been here a long time, today may also feel like losing part of what this place has been. That history matters, and it remains part of who we are. We’re grateful for what each of them gave this organization."

Even then, convincing fans to continue returning to the ballpark may have gotten a little more difficult barring drastic improvements to the team this offseason.

The Orioles wrapped up the season with a 79-82 overall record and fourth-place finish in the AL East, missing the playoffs for the second-straight year since 2025. While they saw younger bats like Coby Mayo and new signings like veteran Pete Alonso step up this year, other pieces such as Colton Cowser and Dylan Beavers struggled to remain consistent at the plate.

Baltimore's bullpen was another point of weakness as arms like Yennier Canó and Cam Sanders faltered in higher-leverage situations, contributing to some brutal losses this year including an 8-1 loss to the division rival Toronto Blue Jays last month.

The last few years seemed promising for Baltimore with them making the playoffs in 2023 and 2024. However, they fell to the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers in the AL Division Series and then the Kansas City Royals the following year in the Wild Card round.

Since then, the franchise has yet to bounce back and given the combination of the recent layoffs and the team's construction as is, Baltimore will have a steep hole to climb out of.