For the second time this week, a high-ranking member of the Orioles’ front office has been let go. On Friday morning, the Orioles fired Brian Graham, their director of player development.
Graham, who had just completed his sixth season supervising the Orioles’ minor league operations, had worked for the team for 11 seasons. Between Dan Duquette’s dismissal as executive vice president on Oct. 3 and Mike Elias’ hiring as executive vice president and General manager two weeks ago, Graham had served as the team’s interim GM.
“Mike Elias told me this morning that I did a great job and he thanked me for [the] great job we did over the last couple of months, but that he needed to bring in his own people,” Graham wrote in a text message.
“I’m thankful to the Orioles organization and the Angelos family for the opportunities I was given. We did a great job in a lot of areas. There’s a lot of really good people in the organization, and working with Buck Showalter was a great experience. Hopefully something good is on the horizon and I hope nothing but the best for [the] Orioles.”
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Earlier this week, Elias also dismissed Gary Rajsich, who had served as the team’s scouting director for the last seven years.
Elias continues to look for a manager to succeed Buck Showalter, who was fired the same day as Duquette.
He hired longtime aide Sig Mejdal on Nov. 21 to serve as his assistant GM for analytics.
When Duquette and Showalter were terminated, the team said that three officials remained under contract in the front office: Graham, Rajsich and Brady Anderson, the vice president of baseball operations. Only Anderson remains.
By 8 tonight, the team will have to make a decision on five arbitration-eligible players: Tim Beckham, Dylan Bundy, Mychal Givens, Caleb Joseph and Jonathan Villar. Bundy, Givens and Villar will be offered contracts. It’s uncertain if Beckham and Joseph will be.
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