Anyone else here going to the season ticketholder / flex plan members Q&A with Elias today?

[SteveA]

If so, I'll see you there.

[Frobby]

No, but I’ll be awaiting your report, and I hope you have some good questions lined up.  

[Moose Milligan]

Someone ask Elias why he refuses to draft pitching.

[Fiver6565]

Someone ask Elias if he feels like he’s on the hot seat for only being TIED for the best record in baseball 119 games in. 

[casadeozo]

36 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Someone ask Elias why he refuses to draft pitching.

Yes please.

i can’t think of a question I’d want answered more.

[Moose Milligan]

3 minutes ago, casadeozo said:

Yes please.

i can’t think of a question I’d want answered more.

He won't give an answer that you'd want to hear, though.  He'll talk in vague generalities that will sound like specifics.

[OriolesMagic83]

Ask are players going to be signed to extensions this offseason.

I know the answer will be more vague generalities.

[casadeozo]

3 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

He won't give an answer that you'd want to hear, though.  He'll talk in vague generalities that will sound like specifics.

For sure. But it should at least be asked. Wild no one in the press has asked this 

[Moose Milligan]

5 minutes ago, casadeozo said:

For sure. But it should at least be asked. Wild no one in the press has asked this 

The press has an interest in keeping their press credentials.

[RVAOsFan]

Someone ask Elias if he thinks we can afford to resign Burnes.

[Greg Pappas]

Ask Elias if he can respond without vague generalities.

[Sports Guy]

I would be all over the extension discussion…not necessarily specifics but more about philosophy, why all the small market teams can do it, etc…

[HowAboutThat]

I’d be very interested in whether he will change his draft philosophy now that Bmore is picking at the end of each round instead of the beginning.

Id also love to know if he influences lineups, whether Hyde has any serious input/veto power over acquisitions, why Soto sucks and where babies come from.

 

[SteveA]

There were a few hundred people there, and about 10 or 12 got to ask questions, after Kevin Brown asked a few in the beginning.

No, no one "grilled" him on not drafiting pitchers or how he advances prospects.   If that's what you were hoping for.

He was askied about re-signing both Santander and Burnes, and simply chose not to answer.   He says he shouldn't even discuss those possibilities in the public.

One fan also asked him about making sure to extend Kevin Brown.   Since Kevin Brown was the one going around to the tables with a microphone to take the questions, that was mildly amusing.

A few notes:

• He talked about how basically Rubenstein had only been owner since Opening Day, and while the deal was completing around the time of the Burnes trade and there was "some discussion" with Rubinstein, the trade deadline was really the first time that Rubinstein was in charge when players were acquired.   And he noted that we did add some significant payroll at the deadline, and that we have also already added some significant commitment to the 2025 payroll, and that there will be a lot more.
• Eloy Jiminez added a "veteran righthanded presence" in the lineup that he felt we were lacking,
• All 7 guys acquired were not just rentals, all are either already under team control in 2025 or there is a contract option where the team can keep them under control if desired.
• He said that early in the year when there was talk of how we had "surplus pitching", he said tehy were disciplined and made sure to hold onto guys because injuries can and do happen in this league and sure enough they did.
• Someone asked (without naming names but obviously referring to John Means) how the rehab of a pitcher recovering from TJ surgery is handled when he becomes a free agent.   The answer is that it is managed by Orioles medical staff, and paid for by the Orioles, not just until the end of the World Series when he officially becomes a free agent, but up to the time that the player actually signs with another team, if they do.   He did note that sometimes the player stops specifically working at team facilities and goes elsewhere, often closer to home, but that the rehab is still managed, at some high level at least, by the team medical staff.
• He mentioned that in the 3 or 4 days just before the trade deadline he did not go back to his house (not sure where he lives) but stayed in a hotel room right near the stadium when he wasn't at the warehouse.
• Coulombe/Westburg/Rodriguez "should be back" for the postseason
• Mentioned that the rookie debut guys struggling issue (Holliday, Mayo, etc) seems to be a trend all around the majors, not just the Orioles, even though it is not universal.   He mentioned that people think of MLB as "a step above" AAA in the same way as AAA is a step above AA.   But that's not really true.   Because when you advance to AAA, you see AAA pitchers -- pitchers better than that have been promoted.   There's nowhere to be promoted from MLB, so when you go to MLB, you are not just seeing guys who are a step above AAA, but guys who would have been promoted to a higher league than MLB if there was one.   In effect you are seeing some pitchers who may be the equivalent of "5 or 6 levels" above AAA.
• Asked about when Honeycutt will come north from Florida and will it be Delmarva or Aberdeen.   It will be Delmarva, and he anticipates it happening, but it probably won't happen any time soon and will likely be "only a week or two" at the end of the season, just to get his feet wet.   

That's all I remember off the top of my head and a few notes I took on my phone notepad app.   If I remember anything else, I'll add it.   And other Hangouters were probably there, they can add.

It was in the 6th bloor banquet room at the warehouse.   They had soda/water/beer/wine/drinks, and a buffet with dogs, brats, pulled pork, some sides (macaroni salid, cole slaw), cookies, popcorn, peanuts.   Kevin Brown emceed and asked some questions first, then took questions from the audience.   Probably about 40 minutes in length.  There was then a time where everyone could come up one by one (a table's worrth of people at a time) and have a quick photo/handshake with Elias, and I guess you get to keep the picture or something.   I did not stick around for that, it probably would have taken at least a half hour.   Seems like more than half the crowd was staying at the time I took the elevator downstairs and went to the game, probably 20-30% seemed to join me in leaving by that point.

 

[SteveA]

The view from the 6th floor of the warehouse.  I guess the t-shirt I was wearing got reflected in the window, guess I'm not a professional photographer.