Baltimore made its first major offseason call in the front office Monday, bringing in Jared Banner as general manager to work alongside president of baseball operations Mike Elias. Banner, 41, arrives after serving as an assistant general manager with the Cubs and takes on a central role as the Orioles look to recover from back-to-back seasons outside the postseason field.
The result
Banner will handle the day-to-day work of the Orioles’ baseball operations group with Elias. His portfolio includes player development, coaching and performance, while he and Elias will share responsibilities in organizational planning, hiring and talent acquisition.
The move fills a role Elias had been considering since he was elevated to president of baseball operations before the 2025 season. He had retained the general manager duties as well, but spoke late in the 2026 campaign about adding new perspectives and strong people to the department.
“Mike’s vision made me want to join the effort right away,” Banner said. “The Orioles have a proud history, committed fans, an iconic ballpark and considerable talent throughout the organization. I’m eager to build on the work already done and help bring championships back to Baltimore.”
Banner thanked Elias, control owner David Rubenstein and ownership partner Mike Arougheti, adding that he was ready to begin the job.
Elias said Banner has developed into one of the game’s promising executives through his work across several departments and organizations.
“Jared has succeeded while leading a variety of groups and has worked with outstanding front-office people at multiple stops,” Elias said. “He fits what we need as we continue to develop and strengthen baseball operations for 2027 and the years after that.”
The Orioles finished 79-82 in 2026, fourth in the American League East, after reaching the postseason in both 2023 and 2024. The club began reshaping its front office before the season ended. Assistant general manager Sig Mejdal moved away from oversight of the analytics department and will now focus on research into emerging technology and innovative practices throughout baseball operations. Baltimore also mutually agreed to part ways with Matt Blood, its vice president of player and staff development.
Further changes or additions could follow this offseason.
Banner’s path to Baltimore
A Brooklyn native, Banner played outfield for four seasons at Amherst College and captained the program in 2007. That same year, he entered professional baseball as a fellow in Boston’s baseball operations department.
His 11-year Red Sox tenure included work in player development, amateur scouting and player personnel. Banner served as player development assistant in 2008, amateur scouting assistant in 2009, amateur scouting coordinator from 2010 through 2012, assistant director of player personnel from 2013 through 2016, and vice president of player personnel in 2017 and 2018.
During his final two seasons in Boston, he supervised professional scouting work, including coverage in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Mexico. The Red Sox won World Series titles in 2007, 2013 and 2018 while Banner was with the organization.
Banner then spent 2018 through 2020 as the Mets’ executive director of player development, overseeing their Minor League system. He joined the Cubs organization in December 2020, first as vice president of special projects in 2021 and then as vice president of player development from 2022 through 2023. Chicago named him assistant general manager in 2024.
The Orioles will formally introduce Banner at a Camden Yards press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
