Baltimore Orioles Boss States They're Staying 'Plugged In' With Free Agent Star

Mike Elias stated that the Baltimore Orioles are staying connected with their free agent star despite the public expectation he will leave.

Jul 27, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias reacts on the field before the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Coming into the offseason, it was largely accepted that the Baltimore Orioles would lose two of their stars, Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander, in free agency based on the contracts they are expected to land.

That was understood when the Orioles made the trade for Burnes last winter, knowing he was in his contract year and that, even with a marginal performance, he was going to be a coveted player on the market.

As for Santander, his continued prowess at the plate made it seem very likely he would be poached by an outfield-needy team once he was no longer arbitration eligible.

So, as Baltimore figures out what direction to take this offseason, the expectation is general manager Mike Elias and his front office will have to backfill those positions, however, the executive made some interesting comments about where they stand regarding Burnes and his free agency.

"I think he knows what he has in Baltimore and the chances to win ... We're definitely staying plugged in with him and his camp," he told Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

Does that definitely mean they are going to bring him back?

No.

But it certainly keeps the door cracked for the Orioles to keep him around, especially since the hope is this new regime, led by local billionaire David Rubenstein, will finally provide enough resources to this franchise so they can compete for top-of-the-line free agents like Burnes.

Payroll is already expected to increase in 2025, but there has been no indication it will inflate to point where they will offer the ace a megadeal it would likely take to keep him Baltimore.

Elias's comments might also just be him saying the right things.

After all, it would make zero sense for someone in his position to publicly close the door on a reunion with a player who was in their clubhouse and was well like by the coaching staff, players and organization as a whole.

But this is still something.

Maybe Rubenstein and Elias have been playing things close to the vest this whole time. Maybe they surprise everyone around Major League Baseball by bringing back the past Cy Young winner.

That would certainly keep this group towards the top of any contenders list for years to come based on the young roster they already have in place.

It's still not likely that Burnes is back with the Orioles, but like the GM said, they are going to be in communication until the ace officially makes his decision.