“Matt has an unrivaled network when it comes to identifying up-and-coming coaching talent, and his knowledge of the latest trends in the player development sphere will help to keep us at the forefront of this critical area.” That was what Mike Elias had to say about his hire back in 2019. Matt Blood joined the organization just a month after the firing of 25 members of their scouting, development, and front office staff. Seven years later, though, it just so happened to be the turn of one of Mike Elias’ first hires.

Throughout his journey with the Baltimore Orioles, Blood steadily climbed the organizational hierarchy and eventually became the vice president of player and staff development last November. But that extended role has now come to an abrupt end.

“Matt Blood, the Orioles’ vice president of player and staff development, is no longer with the organization, a source said. Blood has been with Baltimore since 2019 in player development and scouting roles. He was promoted in November to the player and staff development position,” Andy Kostka, a reporter at The Baltimore Banner, wrote on X. 

Blood joined the Orioles as the director of player development in September 2019, where he was in charge of overseeing the entire minor league system, including implementing modern player development strategies and technology programs. On top of that, he was also responsible for assembling the minor league coaching staff for the organization.

Elias had picked him for his experience as the director of player development with the Texas Rangers. Last offseason, they handed him bigger responsibilities. Aside from his minor league duties, Blood was also made responsible for providing support to the major league staff.

It was this promotion that made his departure all the more surprising.

Handing him bigger responsibilities only suggested that he was doing well in his previous role and contributing at the MLB level alongside the Orioles’ first-year manager, Craig Albernaz. Elias, in fact, said at the time of the promotion that Blood would oversee player development across all areas of the organization.

Yet, according to the insider, there had already been changes within the organization. For example, Matt Blood ran point on Baltimore’s amateur draft over the last two years. But this year, they brought in Will Robertson to take over the amateur scouting responsibilities.

This has led some to point out that the responsibilities had already shifted well before the organization officially parted ways with its vice president. However, Blood’s influence extended beyond the scouting areas.

In late November last year, he recommended Mike Shildt to the Orioles, and they eventually hired him as an upper-level field coordinator of instruction. He was assigned to High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, and while Shildt is still at his post, The Baltimore Banner broke the news of the firing.

As of now, the Orioles have declined to comment on the matter. They even tried to contact Blood for more insight, but he has refused to offer anything as well. While the organization’s decision to part ways with its VP is seen as unexpected, many see an obvious reason behind it.

Baltimore’s disappointing season has changed the conversation

The Orioles are at the bottom of the AL East with a 71-76 record. They are 3.0 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the chase for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. Now, with 15 games remaining in the regular season, it is not the easiest job.

Such is the result after the team entered the season with considerably higher expectations. They were in the middle of the division early in the season, but then the Boston Red Sox had a phenomenal turnaround, and even the Toronto Blue Jays leaped over them. Their overall batting average of .234 puts them 28th in the league, while they are in the middle of the pack with a 4.15 ERA. The Orioles’ underperformance has been quite apparent. 

The Texas Rangers eliminated them in the 2023 ALDS, and they then suffered a 2-0 loss against the Kansas City Royals in the 2024 Wild Card Series. They couldn’t even make it to the playoffs last year, and their recent situation doesn’t make things any less concerning.

Back in July, Jason La Canfora from SI argued that there are several areas where the Orioles failed, and he included aspects like pitching evaluation, in-season roster improvement, and even player development. While his points are hard to counter, it doesn’t all fall on Matt Blood alone. Canfora himself attributed these failures to Elias.

More importantly, he wondered whether Elias would push his other longtime aides like Sig Mejdal out of the picture as well, and he isn’t alone in raising such questions. A part of the fanbase claims that Mike Elias is putting the blame on those under him to save his own job, but only time will tell the truth behind that conclusion.

For now, though, the Baltimore Orioles will just try to win as many games as they can in the final stretch.