To the amazement of many, the Baltimore Orioles are in the hunt for a spot in the major league playoffs this season, and their general manager Mike Elias believes his team can cause a big upset at the end of the regular season.
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The Maryland team was a game and a half down in the second-best rankings in the American League before taking on the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night. But the organization released helper Jorge Lopez, who went to the Minnesota Twins, as well as one of its best offensive elements in Trey Mancini to the Houston Astros earlier this month, and nothing showed any real desire to climb the ladder. However, the players in uniform do everything they can to thwart the predictions, with the club posting a 59-55 record.
“I think we’re going to make the playoffs,” Elias said on Sunday, as reported by MASN. I like the direction we’re going. I believe this group has the ability to fight for the next month and a half.”
Still, the DG and his deputies are looking ahead and the off-season will be important to them, a matter of improving the existing workforce. So more means – financial – could be taken so that the Orioles can fight a little more evenly with the New York Yankees, among others.
“Our plan for next winter was always to increase the payroll,” admitted the DG. I think a lot of this will be related to our players being in arbitration, but we also plan to explore the autonomy market more aggressively. Maybe there are trades for guys with contracts or nearing the end of their refereeing years. And I think the results of the first half of the campaign have confirmed those plans.”
A varied contribution
If you ask about the reasons for the success of manager Brandon Hyde’s team, you can look at the offensive performance of many players. Seven of them hit at least 10 home runs in 2022; Among others, outfielder Anthony Santander claims 20 long balls and dominates his team with 60 RBIs.
No gunner has 10 wins on the mound, but Jordan Lyles is close at 9-9. He is also the only one in Baltimore to break the 100-innings plateau. Helper Felix Bautista, for his part, seems to have taken over with conviction after Lopez’s departure. He has a earned running average of 1.69.