Mike Elias joins MLB Network at Winter Meetings | Baltimore Orioles

Mike Elias joins MLB Network at Winter Meetings | Baltimore Orioles

THE PREVIOUS DEADLINE, POSTING TERRIFIC NUMBERS DOWN THE STRETCH IN PARTICULAR? THE ORIOLES GENERAL MANAGER MIKE ELIAS JOINS US ON THE SET TO GO THROUGH THE ORIOLES MOVES THEY HAVE MADE ALREADY. CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT STUFF. I WANT TO START WITH TREVOR ROGERS. SOMETIMES A TRADE DOES NOT BECOME A GOOD ONE UNTIL MONTHS AFTER YOU EXECUTE IT. I GUESS WE SAW WHAT YOU GUYS SAW IN TREVOR ROGERS ALL ALONG LAST YEAR. HAD A TERRIFIC SEASON FOR YOU. MIKE: HAD A SEASON WHERE A LOT DIDN’T GO TO PLAN. TREVOR HAD AN AMAZING SEASON. WHEN WE ACQUIRED HIM WE WERE AWARE OF HIS PEDIGREE AS A TOP PITCHING PROSPECT. HAD SOME REAL BRILLIANT FLASHES WITH MIAMI EARLY IN HIS CAREER, AND THEN HE HAD BEEN HURT. THE TYPES OF INJURIES HE HAD, IT WAS SOMETHING YOU COULD ENVISION SOMETHING COMING BACK FROM. WE ACQUIRED HIM AT THE DEADLINE IN 2024 AND I THINK HE WAS OUT OF GAS. HE HAD NOT THROWN THAT MANY INNINGS IN A WHILE. OUR PITCHING DEPARTMENT DID AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB, STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH AND TREVOR HIMSELF PUT IN A TON OF WORK AND HE IS IN A FABULOUS SPOT RIGHT NOW. WE ARE VERY PRIDE OF WHAT HE HAS DONE AND A BIG PART OF OUR TEAM GOING INTO THE SEASON. HAROLD: YOU LOOK BACK LAST YEAR AND IT DID NOT GO THE WAY YOU WANTED IT TO GO. BUT IT IS NOT LIKE YOU SIT THERE AND GO, WE HAVE A BAD TEAM, THROW IT OUT. WHAT DO YOU SEE, WHAT ADJUSTMENTS DO YOU THINK HAVE TO HAPPEN? YOU NEED TO CHANGE THE ROSTER OR ARE YOU AT A POINT WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE OK? YOU HAD SOME INJURIES HIT YOU BIG TIME. MIKE: IT WAS ALL OF THE ABOVE. WE HAD INJURIES. HE HAD THINGS WE CAN IMPROVE ON IS THE WAY WE OPERATE AND BEHAVE AS AN ORGANIZATION. WHAT WE DO DEVELOPMENT-WISE, WHAT WE DO ACQUISITION WISE, YOU HAVE TO REEVALUATE THAT STUFF ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. WHEN YOU HAVE A YEAR WHERE THINGS DON’T GO WELL IT IS EASIER TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AND SELF REFLECT EVERYONE IS DOING THAT, AND THAT INCLUDES THE PLAYERS. THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE HEARING FROM THEM LOUD AND CLEAR. I LOVE THE WAY THEY ARE LOOKING IN THE MIRROR AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY COULD HAVE DONE BETTER. MATT: NOTHING YOU HAVEN’T HEARD BEFORE. NOT THAT YOU ARE MONITORING THE WIRES ON WHAT THE PUNDITS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE CONSTRUCT OF YOUR ROSTER, BUT PEOPLE ARE WONDERING ABOUT THE STARTING PITCHING. ROGERS HAS BEEN GREAT. YOU TRADE GRAYSON RODRIGUEZ TO GET TAYLOR WARD, ADDRESSING A NEED THEY FOR SURE. AND LOOK AT THE OPTIONS — AND YOU HAVE BRANDISHED COMING OFF OF AN INJURY, WELLS COMING OFF OF AN INJURY — YOU HAVE GUYS WHO HAVE NOT AMASSED A TON OF INNINGS. IT LEAD YOU TO BELIEVE THERE IS TRADE ON THE TIRES, BUT WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT A SUPER EXPERIENCED GROUP. HOW DO YOU PLAN ON MANAGING THAT AND ADDRESSING IT IN THE WINTER? MIKE: WE BELIEVE IN THESE GUYS, BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO SUPPLEMENT. THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE IN EARLY DECEMBER. EVERYBODY IS WORKING ON BRINGING IN STARTING PITCHING. IT IS A CONSTANT HIM IN BASEBALL WITH ALL OF THE INJURIES AND DURABILITY ISSUES. — CONSTANT THEME IN BASEBALL, WITH ALL OF THE INJURIES AND DURABILITY ISSUES. IT IS PART OF THE TEAM WE CAN AUGMENT AND SUPPLEMENT. WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD STABLE STARTING TO BUBBLE UP THROUGH DOUBLE-A AND TRIPLE-A AND I THINK A LOT OF THESE GUYS WILL BE IN CAMP AND MAY BE ABLE TO HELP US LATER. A COMBINATION OF INTERNAL GUYS, BUT WE ARE LOOKING OUTSIDE AS WELL. HAROLD: I’M A LITTLE UPSET WITH YOU, BECAUSE YOU MOVED THE FENCE AGAIN. [LAUGHTER] IT WAS WAY BACK THERE, THEN YOU MOVED IT IN. THE THOUGHT BEHIND THE FENCE? I KNOW YOU HAVE HEARD THIS A MILLION TIMES. I’M WONDERING YOUR THOUGHTS WITH IT. MIKE: I’VE TALKED ABOUT IT ENOUGH BY NOW, BUT IT WAS WAY TOO SHORT THE WAY IT WAS WHEN IT STARTED. WE MOVED IT BACK. IT SORT OF WORKED, BUT WE MOVED IT BACK TOO FAR, AND THE HITTERS, OUR YOUNG HITTERS IN PARTICULAR — HAROLD: WERE THEY COMPLAINING? MIKE: WE FOUND A HAPPY MEDIUM. THE PARK PLAYED REALLY WELL LAST YEAR, KIND OF HOW WE WANTED TO PLAY. YOU CAN NEVER PREDICT HOW THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE, BUT I THINK IT IS IN THE RIGHT SPOT. MATT: I WILL TELL YOU A GUY WHO IS HAPPY ABOUT THAT IS TAYLOR WARD. GOT A GOOD GUY THERE. GOT A GOOD DUDE, GOT A GOOD HITTER. TALK ABOUT THE TRADE. MIKE: HE SEEMS LIKE A GREAT GUY. HE HAS HAD A FANTASTIC CAREER, BUT PARTICULARLY OF LAST SEASON HE HIT THE SIX HOMERS AND PLAYED BASICALLY EVERY DAY IN LEFT FIELD FOR TWO YEARS IN A ROW. TO STAY REALLY SOLID PLAY. OUR TEAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LITTLE SKEWED TO THE LEFT. WE ARE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR RIGHT-HANDED POWER. IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS IN SHORT SUPPLY AROUND BASEBALL. WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LINE UP EARLY WITH THE ANGELS, THIS IS A PLAYER WE WERE TARGETING, AND THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ACQUIRE FROM THEM FOR A YEAR OR TWO. I THINK HE HELPS BALANCE OUT OUR LINEUP AND IT IS A GOOD ACQUISITION. HAROLD: TALK ABOUT YOUR MANAGER. HOW DID YOU SETTLE ON HIM AND THE PROCESS OF THAT? MIKE: IT IS ALWAYS A REALLY INTENSIVE PROCESS. HE WAS TOWARD THE TOP OF THE LIST, IF NOT AT THE TOP OF THE LIST BECAUSE OF THE REPUTATION. HE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE UP-AND-COMING COACHES AND MANAGERIAL CANDIDATES IN THE LEAGUE FOR YEARS. YOU COME FROM CLEVELAND AND YOU ARE THE BENCH COACH WITH STEPHEN VOGT, BACK-TO-BACK MANAGER OF THE YEAR AND THE TYPE OF SEASONS THEY HAVE HAD AND HOW BIG CRAIG ‘S ROLE WAS IN CLEVELAND’S SUCCESS, WE HEAR ALL THAT, WE SEE ALL OF THAT, AND WE REALLY TARGETED HIM FOR OUR TEAM AS A FIT. HE HAS SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE RESUME. WE LOVE WORKING WITH HIM ALREADY AND I THINK HE IS GOING TO BE VERY IMPACTFUL FOR US. MATT: WE LOVE THE NEW ENGLAND ACCENT SAYING GUNNAR HENDERSON TOO. IT IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS. THANK YOU FOR THAT. MIKE: HE’S GOING TO HAVE TO WORK ON THAT AT FENWAY PARK. [LAUGHTER] MATT: WE APPRECIATE THE VISIT. GOOD LUCK THE REST

President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Elias joins MLB Network live from Winter Meetings to discuss adjustments going into the 2026 season, the Taylor Ward trade, and the addition of Manager Craig Albernaz.

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