After being one of the most disappointing teams in MLB last season, the Baltimore Orioles are banking on Craig Albernaz to turn things around for them as their manager in 2026.

Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Orioles are “finalizing a deal” to make the Cleveland Guardians’ associate manager their new manager.

Coming off back-to-back playoff appearances in 2023 and 2024, including 101 wins in ’23, the Orioles seemed like they were on their way to being the envy of most MLB teams.

They had one of the best young rosters in the sport, headlined by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman. Their farm system was ranked as the best in MLB entering 2024, led by No. 1 overall prospect Jackson Holliday.

Since the All-Star break during the 2024 season, though, the Orioles have fallen on hard times. They were 58-38 going into the break, tied with the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees for most wins in the AL.

In the 228 games since then, including all of 2025, the Orioles are 108-120. They fired Brandon Hyde, who was named AL Manager of the Year in 2023, after a 15-28 start last season.

Tony Mansolino did stabilize things with a 60-59 record as interim manager after Hyde’s dismissal, but there remain bigger concerns in Baltimore. Henderson still had a very good year in 2025, but it was his worst offensive season by weighted on-base average.

Rutschman’s performance has declined every year of his career since a breakout rookie campaign in 2022. He hit just .220/.307/.366 last season and was limited to 90 games due to multiple oblique injuries.

Holliday has not yet lived up to his potential as a former No. 1 overall pick and top prospect, but there’s still time for him to put it all together since he doesn’t turn 22 until Dec. 4.

Another issue is Orioles management continues to avoid spending big in free agency to supplement the young talent they have developed. They did add players last offseason, but no one who would be considered a difference-maker in the hyper-competitive AL East.

The first significant task for Albernaz will be getting Henderson, Holliday and Rutschman playing up to their full potential to give the Orioles a dominant trio that can hit in the middle of a lineup.