It's a classic case of reporting before getting all the facts, or intentionally holding back quotes to make a bigger impact - whether that means to make the organization look bad and continue the preceived status quo that the Orioles won't spend.
It's along the lines of the comments made by Ruiz and Connolly, looking to through cold water on the potential of the Orioles attracting free agents to Baltimore.
Looking at the entirety of the comments, it makes me believe that Elias is looking to build something that will last longer than something a free agent can bring.