There is no doubt that Orioles’ proven baseball failure Mike Elias needs to have the best offseason of his life to this hapless organization to have any chance to contend for a fringe Wild Card spot (forget the AL East with these mooks in charge).

Elias feels the heat so much he finally hired a lapdog to fill that vacant “GM” position he thought so little of he refused to disclose it was open in the first place, all while falling a collective 39 games out of first place the last two seasons. Attendance is dismal, the owner, David Rubenstein, can’t stop making a fool of himself when he opens his mouth – whether about his pathetic baseball product – or baseball’s impending labor doom (which will only prolong our wait for an All-Star Game, trust).

Just how much work Elias and his flunkies have to do get done becomes clear when you take a discerning eye to the current roster.

Of course, they are walking away from Luis Robert (what a silly acquisition) and Zach Eflin (what a silly acquisition), and of course Elias would bring back Rece Hinds (because his outfield was, is and always will be abject failure until proven otherwise). We decided to apply the Oasis Scale to where things stand now (Definitely, Maybe, No Way) as a portal into where Elias must make significant additions.

We’re looking at bats under contract who played for the O’s at the end of the 2026 season (we’ll get to pitchers later).

Definitely  

Pete Alonso (1B), Blaze Alexander (UT), Jordan Westburg (2B), Samuel Basallo (C), Coby Mayo (3B), Dylan Beavers (OF), Tyler O’Neill (DH?)

How’s that for a young core? Wanna see just what nasty, dirty work Elias has done with this rebuild? This is it. Been here since 2019 and barely has an infield of sure thing guys let alone a lineup. And there are major questions about this group, of course, but hard to see him not wanting these guys here in April (or whenever this season starts).

Of this entire group there is one bonafide, proven, everyday MLB player when factoring in injury. That’s pathetic. But don’t worry, Banner (Assistant GM No.4) will change everything. And they won’t pay O’Neill to leave, as much a any real front office would have done it at the trade deadline.

Maybe

Gunnar Henderson (SS), Jackson Holliday (?), Colton Cowser (OF), Christian Encarnacion-Strand (3B), Carlos Narvaez (C), Christian Franklin (OF), Leody Taveras (OF), Hinds (OF)

Ah, the vast wasteland of AAAA guys and prospects who failed to solidify themselves or guys who adopted the Adley Rutschman plan and regressed massively from All Star to meh. There is a lot of potential trade fodder in this group and fringy guys who should be displaced if Elias builds a real roster … But do you trust him to build a real roster? Trading Henderson ASAP should be the top objective of the organization right now, and the reality is, Holliday desperately needs a change of scenery.

I will die on the hill that Henderson for Twins CF Byron Buxton would be the perfect place to start this offseason.

No Way

Ryan Mountcastle (1B), Jeremiah Jackson (2B) Heston Kjerstad (?), Yohel Pozo (C), Jose Berrero (IF)

We have to do better than this. Even Elias can do better than this.

Conclusions: So you can see why two outfielders from outside the organization feels like an absolute minimum, right? The redundancy of right-handed, corner bats remains staggering and the lack of anyone with a true plus glove is galling.

Subscribe To "The Daily Flock" On YouTube For No BS O's Conversations: