On Nov. 16, 2018, the Orioles officially sent their organization in a new direction, hiring Mike Elias to serve as their executive vice president and general manager.
Then the Houston Astros' assistant general manager, Elias brought with him a background in scouting and player development. Those traits have continued during his two years leading Baltimore’s baseball operations department.
The Orioles will enter 2021 still amid a rebuild but with a farm system full of pieces that bring hope of its end. Although Elias inherited many of those prospects, he’s also added talent through two drafts, a handful of trades and Baltimore’s first true foray into the international market.