Brandon Hyde was only part of the problem.

Where do we even begin with the 2025 Baltimore Orioles?

Once viewed as the darlings of baseball’s youth movement, the O’s are now scratching and clawing their way out from the bottom of the AL East.

It’s becoming more obvious to see the true root of their regression.

Yes, they parted ways with manager Brandon Hyde back in May after a 15-28 start.

And yes, interim skipper Tony Mansolino has admirably steadied the ship since. But if you think Hyde was the only issue holding Baltimore back, you haven’t been paying attention.

The Orioles’ unraveling was death by a thousand cuts — and Hyde was just the face of it. The man who should’ve followed him out the door was Orioles General Manager Mike Elias.

The Orioles’ 2025 struggles point to a bigger problem than just the manager

After winning 101 games in 2023 and 91 in 2024, Baltimore was expected to take the next step. Instead, they stumbled.

And it didn’t start on the field. It started in the front office, with one of the more baffling offseasons in baseball.

The Orioles let Corbin Burnes — their ace at the top of the rotation walk in free agency. That decision alone turned heads.

What followed wasn’t a pivot, but a patch job. They added 41-year-old Charlie Morton and rolled the dice on 35-year-old rookie Tomoyuki Sugano. Neither one being close to a one-for-one replacement. And the rotation has felt it.

It wasn’t just Burnes either. Outfielder Anthony Santander — a reliable middle-of-the-order bat — also walked. Rather than replacing him with another impact hitter, Elias flooded the roster with “depth.”

They brought in a slew of low-cost free agents like Tyler O’Neill and Gary Sanchez — then doubled down on tendering arbitration deals to role players. The result? Quantity over quality, and a roster that felt thinner despite being technically “deeper.”

Perhaps the most damning indictment of Elias’ regime is what hasn’t happened: the lack of long-term commitments to their young core.

Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Grayson Rodriguez are still waiting for extensions. In an era where teams like Atlanta are locking up stars early to build sustainable contenders, the Orioles are playing with fire — and every year that passes without deals makes the long-term outlook even cloudier.

This team still scores runs. The offense has shown flashes of brilliance. But you can’t outhit your way through every series.

Without an ace and with injuries hitting the rotation early and often, the Orioles’ patchwork pitching has struggled to keep up — and the young bats haven’t been able to consistently carry the load.

To their credit, the Orioles did spend more this offseason. But how they spent it was the issue. Instead of targeting difference-makers, they spread the wealth thin.

A couple of elite arms or a single big swing at a premium bat could’ve shifted this narrative entirely. But Baltimore chose to play it safe. And in this division? Playing it safe can reward you with last place.

Mansolino has helped stabilize things. The Orioles have looked more competitive since Hyde’s departure — proof that a new voice was needed.

But don’t let the recent bounce-back distract from the larger issue. This team’s downfall was built in the front office.