Grading Mike Elias and the Baltimore Orioles front office at the season’s midway point

Overall

With Henderson being the obvious exception, the lack of performance from the system products (and particularly Rodriguez) is the biggest anchor holding back Elias’ 2023 midseason rating.

Here’s the first-half report card on the Orioles front office. Note that grades for players departing the organization are based on the reverse of those players’ WAAs with their new teams.

Mode                    WAA               Grade

Acquired              -0.9                       C

Traded                  -0.8                       C

Signed                  -0.8                       C

FA Lost                 -3.6                       A

Rookies                -1.1                       D

Overall                 +1.6                      B

Through 81 games, Elias had made 24 personnel moves impacting major league players, of which only nine worked to the advantage of the Baltimore Orioles. Of the remaining 15, 13 have turned out negative and two neutral.

The question is whether Henderson is capable of lifting the team. Of the 19 players Elias has brought in to the organization, he and Coulombe (+0.6) have been the only two significant contributors.

How, then, have the Orioles improved? The answer largely lies in the improving holdover cast. That cast includes Yennier Cano (+1.4 WAA), Wells (+1.3), Austin Hays (+1.1), Felix Bautista (+1.0), Bradish (+0.9), and Rutschman (+0.9).

As a group, the returning Orioles core added 4.5 games of value to Baltimore this season. Since almost all of that talent was brought in by Elias, he can take some of the credit, even if it doesn’t show up in his rating this season.