Baltimore Orioles New Owner Shares Candid Vision On Returning to World Series

The Baltimore Orioles look to be ready for it's most important offseason in recent memory after recent comments from their new owner David Rubenstein

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Things may get exciting this offseason for the Baltimore Orioles.

After finding themselves in the postseason for the second straight season, it’s safe to say the Orioles' rebuild is completely finished. It seemed to last forever. However, not everything is working the way the organization hoped it would, as they continue to struggle once they make it to the postseason. 

The team was swept for the second consecutive playoffs after losing the first two games in the American League Wildcard round against the Detroit Tigers. 

As they look to take the next step forward and be seen as contenders from the start of the 2025 season, the team will look to improve their roster. Thanks to the new group leading the charge of the organization, they seem to have more help than in years past.  

This past week, David Rubenstein, Baltimore native and new majority owner of the Orioles, talked about the ballclub's future and his expectations in an interview with NPR. When talking about how the season came to an end and what he hoped to accomplish with the organization, the famous businessman made his expectations clear moving forward.

“Success means you win a championship,” said Rubenstein on NPR Morning Edition. “Everybody wants to win a championship. I don’t think any owners bought a team, and the first year won a World Series. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what I was told. And so I recognize it takes some time before you kind of get to a World Series. But clearly, without winning a World Series or a championship, it won’t be satisfying. So, I’m trying to do everything I can with my partners to make sure that the team has everything it needs to win a championship. It may take time. Some people own teams for 10,15, or 20 years and don’t win a World Series. So I have to recognize that it may not happen.”

He also mentioned that he’s aware that, in terms of age, he is among the top current MLB owners. 

“ I’m now 75 years old. It’s unlikely that I’ll be, you know, doing this for 20 more years. So I’ve got to speed up the effort to get a World Series a lot sooner than maybe some younger owners would.”

If he does indeed speed up the process to keep the Orioles in a competitive window, that would likely mean that the organization will spend this winter doing some things fans have not seen in quite some time under the old ownership group. 

With plenty of big names looking for a new place to play this offseason, this season is a perfect year to be aggressive with building a roster for the future. This may not mean that Rubenstein and company spend $600 million on a player like Juan Soto, but it may mean that other top free agents are still on the table. 

The Orioles have a few players leaving for free agency themselves that could return to the roster if they chose to make a competitive roster, including staff ace Corbin Burnes. After trading for the starting pitching before the season from the Milwaukee Brewers, it would be a no-brainer to start by improving the pitching staff this offseason after seeing so many injuries to the rotation as the season came to a close. Outfielder Anthony Santander, who hit a career-high 44 home runs, is also set to test the market. 

Spending on this club's future could also mean securing the young core of the team and locking them in moving forward. Players like Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Jackson Holliday, all who are likely to be in the organization's future plans, are still looking for new deals. Extending these players would also be an unprecedented move for the Orioles. 

Regardless of the direction the Orioles organization decides to take this offseason, it is likely to be an aggressive one after the remarks by the new owner. With general manager Mike Elias having the opportunity to spend for the first time since taking over as the leader of the organization, it will be interesting to see what he builds as the team looks to return to the World Series for the first time since winning it all in 1983.