Question: If Mike Elias was going to hire a general manager, wouldn’t it make sense to let the new general manager pick the new manager? From: Joseph Adams
Answer: Joseph, Elias hasn’t said definitively that he was going to hire a general manager this offseason, and if the Orioles hired a new GM, we don’t know how responsibilities would be divided.
Many teams in baseball have both a president of baseball operations and a general manager. Hiring a new manager is an extremely important organizational decision, and it would be naïve to think that Elias wouldn’t have any input if there were a newly hired general manager.
Of course he would, and he should. He’ll have input on every important decision, and a new general manager would have significant input on all major decisions, too.
Question: Would Alex Bregman fit in if the contract price and length were right? From: John Hall
Answer: John, Alex Bregman reportedly will be opting out of the remaining two years and $80 million remaining on his contract with the Boston Red Sox.
I don’t believe he’s a fit with the Orioles because they need outfielders more than infielders. Bregman, who’s 31, hit .273 with an .821 OPS, 18 home runs and 62 RBIs in 114 games with the Red Sox.
Like Bregman, Jordan Westburg is primarily a third baseman, and while he was hurt, he hit .265 with a .770 OPS, 17 home runs and 41 RBIs in 85 games.
If Westburg played a full season, he could have stats similar to Bregman’s, so I think the Orioles will focus on outfielders this offseason.
Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.