Former Astros Exec Using Similar Blueprint for Orioles

Mike Elias, the current general manager of the Baltimore Orioles, is implementing many of the same strategies he used when he was an executive with the Houston Astros. During his time with the Astros, he was a major factor in the team becoming the best in baseball.

The hope is that with the Orioles, he can do the same thing.

Everything to this point indicates that he can do just that. Elias has drafted Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, and many others. He did a similar thing in Houston when he played a part in drafting Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa.

Similar to the Justin Verlander trade, which the Astros were able to complete because of the prospects they had, Elias just flipped two prospects for Corbin Burnes.

When asked about the move, he had the following to say, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

“It did occur to me that Jeff [Luhnow, former Astros GM] and [team owner] Jim Crane were with [Justin] Verlander and Gerrit Cole [trades] able to exploit the depth of the farm system to bring in those impact arms at kind of the exact right moment."

Elias himself says that the move reminded him of the ones that were made by Houston a few years ago.

Baltimore was one of the top teams in baseball during the 2023 season and will be very good again in 2024. They are a team that the Astros have to watch out for when October comes around. 

Despite the veteran leadership that Houston has, which will always be huge when it comes to playoff success, young teams like the Orioles have nothing to lose and give it their all. That was seen last year when the Arizona Diamondbacks made it to the World Series.

After losing in the ALDS, look for Mike Elias and Baltimore to get back on track after adding one of the best pitchers in baseball.