After years of rebuilding, a brief run of postseason success and growing questions about the direction of the franchise, the Baltimore Orioles are entering another new chapter.
On Monday morning, October 19, the Orioles announced the hiring of Jared Banner, formerly the assistant general manager of the Chicago Cubs, as the organization’s new general manager.
The move marks a significant change for an organization that has operated without a permanent general manager since Mike Elias was promoted to president of baseball operations. Elias will remain in his role, with Banner joining him to help guide the next phase of Baltimore’s baseball operations.
Banner brings considerable front office experience to Baltimore. He joined the Cubs in 2020 as vice president of special projects before moving to vice president of player development for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He was promoted to assistant general manager in 2024.
Before joining Chicago, Banner spent time in the front offices of the New York Mets from 2018 to 2020 and the Boston Red Sox from 2007 to 2018. His time in Boston coincided with three World Series titles, giving him experience with an organization that knows what it takes to build a championship team.
“When I first heard Mike’s vision, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of,” Banner said in a statement. “The Orioles are a storied franchise with a passionate fanbase, a historic ballpark and an organization full of talent. I look forward to building upon the foundation laid by Mike and his team to construct a world-class organization and bring Championships back to Baltimore. I am extremely grateful to Mike, David and Mike for the opportunity, and I am excited to get to work.”
Elias also expressed confidence in his new general manager.
“Jared has been one of the rising talents in our league for some time now,” Elias said. “He has demonstrated success running multiple different departments and has worked alongside some of the best people and front office talent in the league across multiple stops.”
Banner arrives in Baltimore at an important time. Elias’ rebuild produced a 101-win season and an American League East title in 2023, followed by another postseason appearance in 2024. However, consecutive postseason sweeps and disappointing 2025 and 2026 campaigns raised questions about whether the organization could turn its young talent into sustained success.
The Orioles have already taken steps to address those concerns, making significant investments, including signing veteran first baseman Pete Alonso last offseason. Now, Banner will help oversee an organization looking to return to contention and take the next step toward competing for a World Series Championship.
The Orioles will officially introduce Banner at a press conference on October 27 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
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