It wasn’t expected before the season, but amid a 15-28 start, there’s no surprise the Baltimore Orioles decided to fire manager Brandon Hyde on Saturday.

The Orioles are two years removed from an AL East division title and one year removed from a 91-win season. They enter May 17 with the fourth-worst record in Major League Baseball.

Hyde probably wasn’t going to be the manager who led the Orioles to their next World Series title. He was, however, their leader throughout a rebuild that produced multiple 100-loss seasons. A first-time MLB manager with Baltimore, Hyde won American League Manager of the Year honors after his fifth season in 2023.

The Orioles’ problems extend beyond Hyde’s managerial qualities. He’s not responsible for the mountain of injuries Baltimore endured throughout the early portions of the season. He also wasn’t given much to work with pitching-wise by general manager Mike Elias, who tried to patch together a pitching staff desperate for a star with questionable signings.

Unsurprisingly, though, Hyde was ousted as so many managers are when expectations are not met. Now, Elias is (probably) going to lead the charge on another managerial search. Regardless of whether he keeps his job as Baltimore’s head of baseball operations beyond this season, the Orioles will have a new clubhouse voice in 2026.

Former Manager of the Year should be high on Orioles’ list

Whenever there’s a highly coveted manager available, teams will be all over him. The Orioles should feel that way toward Skip Schumaker if the former Miami Marlins manager opens himself to offers this winter.

Schumaker is a senior advisor for the Texas Rangers, opting not to take a managerial job after leaving the Marlins following the 2024 season. He was named National League Manager of the Year in 2023 after leading Miami to its fourth playoff appearance in 32 seasons. However, the Marlins plummeted down the standings in 2024, losing 100 games.

It is rumored that Schumaker is next in line to be Rangers manager, with the possibility that incumbent Bruce Bochy retires at the end of the 2025 season. If Bochy sticks around, Schumaker might want to test the waters and try to find a dugout job for 2026.

Schumaker was the consensus hottest managerial candidate on the open market last offseason. Teams will be itching to get on his radar again. If the Orioles aren’t among those teams, fans will likely not be happy.

World Series champion back on the managerial market

When the Orioles let go of bench coach Fredi Gonzalez after the 2024 season, reports emerged that they were interested in David Ross as a replacement. Could Baltimore again pursue the former Chicago Cubs manager, this time for their managerial role?

A two-time World Series champion as a player, Ross had a connection to the Orioles through Hyde, who was on the Cubs’ coaching staff when Ross played for Chicago in 2015 & 2016.

Ross did not take another job after being dismissed by the Cubs following the 2023 season. The New York Yankees reportedly asked Ross about being their bench coach, but he preferred to take another manager job if the right opportunity arose.

Ross was recently announced as a member of Team USA’s coaching staff for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He’ll serve as the bullpen coach under manager Mark DeRosa.

If Ross wants to get back in the dugout, there’s no reason to think he won’t garner interest. Just because Hyde is no longer with the Orioles doesn’t mean Baltimore should turn away from Ross. It’s a pairing that could make sense.

Internal candidate might make Orioles’ search easy

The Orioles might not have to look very far to find their next manager. Buck Britton, a long-time coach in Baltimore’s minor league system, will surely be a candidate to become Orioles manager next season.

Britton is in his 16th season with the organization and was promoted to the Major League staff last November. Following Hyde’s dismissal, Britton was named interim third base coach along with his duties as an infield coach.

He managed three of the Orioles’ minor league teams, reaching multiple championships in Double-A and winning one with Triple-A Norfolk. It’s perhaps a little surprising that Baltimore didn’t make Britton interim manager, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be out of the running for the full-time job.

Britton worked with several Orioles players while they were developing in the minors. He’d likely be respected in the clubhouse should he be promoted to manager.