Orioles fire Hyde amid 15-28 start to season
The Baltimore Orioles have fired manager Brandon Hyde following a 15-28 start to the season.
Third base coach Tony Mansolino will take over as interim manager for the club, which also dismissed field coordinator Tim Cossins.
"As the head of baseball operations, the poor start to our season is ultimately my responsibility," Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said in a statement Saturday. "Part of that responsibility is pursuing difficult changes in order to set a different course for the future."
"I want to thank Brandon for his hard work, dedication, and passion all these years, for returning the team to the playoffs and winning an AL East championship. His many positive contributions to this organization and to Baltimore will remain, and we wish he and his family the best."
Hyde was hired ahead of the 2019 season. He led the Orioles through the end of their rebuild and to three straight winning seasons from 2022-24. They won the AL East in 2023 and made the playoffs again last year.
The 51-year-old ends his Baltimore tenure with a 421-492 record and a .461 winning percentage.
He described himself as "frustrated as anybody" after the club's most recent loss to the Washington Nationals on Friday night.
"I am sincerely grateful for (Hyde's) significant accomplishments over the past six years, which have greatly benefited both the Orioles and the city of Baltimore," Orioles control owner David Rubenstein said in the statement.
"However, as is sometimes the case in baseball, change becomes necessary, and we believe this is one of those moments."
The Orioles' struggles this season have been all-encompassing. The club's pitching staff owns the worst ERA (5.33) in the American League, while its offense has scored the fourth-fewest runs (159) and hit for the worst average in all of baseball with runners in scoring position (.192).
Baltimore's shocking free fall comes after the team let marquee free agents Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander walk in the offseason. Their replacements, Charlie Morton and Tyler O'Neill, have struggled mightily.
"I've seen (firings) happen before on previous teams in different roles, we respect those guys so much," Orioles pitcher Zach Eflin said, per Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner. "It sucks it's a result of us sucking."
The Orioles have lost nine of their last 11 games. They entered Saturday 10.5 games back of first place in the AL East.