Manager Buck Showalter Reportedly Fired by Orioles After 9 Seasons

The Baltimore Orioles reportedly parted ways with manager Buck Showalter on Wednesday.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that Showalter will not return to the Orioles “in any capacity” next season.

On September 21, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that Showalter was expected to be fired after the 2018 season ended.

For the Orioles, the decision was obvious.

Baltimore finished 47-115 this season, joining the 1962 New York Mets and the 2003 Detroit Tigers as the only expansion teams to win fewer than 50 games.

Furthermore, Showalter was never a fit to lead the Orioles through what appears to be an extensive and arduous rebuild after Manny Machado, Zach Britton, Kevin Gausman, and Darren O’Day

Baltimore finished 47-115 this season, joining the 1962 New York Mets and the 2003 Detroit Tigers as the only expansion teams to win fewer than 50 games.

Furthermore, Showalter was never a good fit to lead the Orioles through what is expected to be a lengthy and difficult rebuild after Manny Machado, Zach Britton, Kevin Gausman, Darren O’Day, and Jonathan Schoop were all traded away prior to the deadline.

Dan Szymborski of FanGraphs speculated that Showalter’s relationship with general manager Dan Duquette may have played a role in his dismissal.

Showalter, 62, will now leave Baltimore with a 669–684 record in eight seasons with the Orioles, dating back to his appointment as manager midway through the 2010 season. Overall, his career record stands at 1,551–1,517.

The highlight of his time in Charm City came in 2014, when the Orioles went 96-66, won the franchise’s first American League East title since 1997, and advanced to the ALCS before being defeated by the Kansas City Royals.

Since then, the Orioles have only had one winning season, while the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have reestablished themselves as the division’s top teams.