The Orioles "appear to be a few weeks away from naming a new baseball operations chief," but naming a replacement for former Exec VP/Baseball Operations Dan Duquette "isn't as time sensitive as it might be under different circumstances," according to Peter Schmuck of the BALTIMORE SUN. This was "never going to be a big free-agent offseason for the Orioles" despite coming off a franchise-worst 47-115 season. It also is the "first major front-office reshuffle" since John and Louis Angelos "took over the day-to-day responsibilities of ownership" from their father Peter, and the sons have "talked to a number of potential candidates." However, there is a "lot on their plates." Another round of arbitration in the long-running dispute with the Nationals over MASN has been a "major source of concern for the organization." Both situations "could come to a head this month." The outcome of the MASN dispute is "largely in the hands" of the Orioles' legal team, but the "choice of a new front-office braintrust is just as important to the future of the franchise" (BALTIMORE SUN, 11/4).
NEED TO GET IT RIGHT: MASNSPORTS.com's Steve Melewski wrote the most important thing for the Orioles is to "get the right person or persons to run the show," and making the hire "soon is somewhat important, but less so than getting the right people in place." Melweski wrote, "Whether it’s upgrading analytics, adding international scouts or making changes to improve their minor league operation, the Orioles need to get this right. Getting their house in order off the field has to happen before they get it in order on the field" (MASNSPORTS.com, 11/5).
