Recap: How the front office rating works
This is one in a series of assessments of the performances of front offices for the 2024 season. Each front office is given a score based on the total Wins Above Average of the players they either traded for, signed via free agency or extension, or promoted from their farm system, since the conclusion of the 2023 postseason.
A front office’s score also includes the total Wins Above Average of players traded away or lost to free agency since the end of the 2023 postseason. The front offices are being presented in order of their total value from No. 30 (worst) all the way to No. 1 (best).
These ratings do not necessarily reflect the final standings. Front offices are measured based only on the talent they acquired or lost during the past 12 months. Players on multi-year contracts, or already under team control, don’t count toward this rating.
5. Baltimore Orioles, Mike Elias, executive vice president and general manager, +5.3
The story of the Orioles front office for 2024 was all about pitching, both the good and bad.
Elias pulled off one of the winter’s big trades when he landed free agent-to-be pitcher Corbin Burnes from the Brewers. Burnes went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA in 32 starts and established himself, if only for that single season, as the team’s ace.
Then, when it looked like the Burnes arrival wouldn’t be enough to sufficiently fortify the rotation, Elias swung a deadline deal that brought Zach Eflin in from Tampa Bay. At a cost of three minor leaguers, Eflin went 5-2 with a 2.60 ERA in nine Baltimore starts.
Those trades helped cover for the preseason sin of losing Jack Flaherty to free agency. With Detroit and then Los Angeles, Flaherty regained the form he had shown in St. Louis, going a combined 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA in 28 starts and filling a key postseason role for the Dodgers.
To help settle Baltimore’s bullpen for the planned postseason run, Elias signed free agent Craig Kimbrel in December. That moved flopped; Kimbrel did save 23 games, but that came with a costly 5.33 ERA, leading to his September release.
Five most impactful Elias moves in 2024
Transaction | Net Impact (Wins Above Average) |
|---|---|
Acquired Corbin Burnes from Milwaukee | +1.7 |
Lost Jack Flaherty to free agency | -1.7 |
Traded Kyle Stowers to Miami | -1.3 |
Traded Mike Baumann to Seattle | -1.3 |
Acquired Zach Eflin from Tampa Bay | +1.2 |
Promoted rookie Colton Cowser | +1.2 |
Signed free agent Craig Kimbrel | -1.2 |
Those transactions were parts of a season-long Orioles search to shore up the pitching staff. Over the course of the offseason and regular season, Elias turned over 28 arms in his ongoing effort to find a post-season combination. It was an up-and-down process, eventually aiding the O’s but only to the tune of +1.3 games.
And it was not without a price. Burnes cost promising infielder Joey Ortiz, who established himself as an infielder of the future for the NL Central champions.
Baltimore’s hopes of repeating as AL East champions were supposed to be buttressed by a gold-star rookie group. That did happen, although not in the way anybody expected.
The talk of the preseason was former No. 1 draft choice Jackson Holliday, set to break in as a middle-infielder. But Holliday bombed in April, got sent down, and when he eventually returned, batted just .189.
The team’s phenom — and folk hero — turned out to be Colton Cowser. Producing 24 home runs, Cowser won over the team’s fan base and became a Rookie of the Year finalist.
Overall, the Elias front office made moves impacting 55 major leaguers in 2024. Twenty-four of those moves produced positive value for Baltimore, 22 were negative and nine were neutral.
Fast-forwarding to this offseason, Baltimore has taken an interesting approach to team-building. They've lost Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander (among others) while replacing them with veterans like Charlie Morton and Tyler O'Neill. It's hard to believe they've gotten better, but their young core of star position players should keep them in the AL East hunt in 2025.
Previous Rankings
7. Houston Astros, Dana Brown, general manager, +4.2
5. Baltimore Orioles, Mike Elias, executive vice president and general manager, +5.3
Next: 4. Kansas City Royals, J.J. Picollo, executive vice president and general manager, +5.8