Buster Olney rips Orioles GM Mike Elias for extended silence following Brandon Hyde’s firing

On Saturday, the Baltimore Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde. On Tuesday, general manager Mike Elias talked publicly about the decision to fire Hyde for the first time. For ESPN’s Buster Olney, Elias should have done that earlier.

Before Elias met with the media prior to Tuesday’s game with the Milwaukee Brewers, Olney appeared on Glenn Clark Radio. Olney not only criticized Elias’ silence but also noted how it was perceived across the league.

“Mike’s handling of the last 4 days…has other teams shocked that he hasn’t made himself available to the media,” Olney said, via Clark on X. “I don’t know how you create any accountability if the guy at the top of the food chain isn’t addressing it.”

.@Buster_ESPN on Mike Elias/Orioles firing Brandon Hyde: “Mike’s handling of the last 4 days…has other teams shocked that he hasn’t made himself available to the media. I don’t know how you create any accountability if the guy at the top of the food chain isn’t addressing it.”

— Glenn Clark (@GlennClarkRadio) May 20, 2025

So, what’s the big deal with making the media wait a few days?

Frankly, if this were an offseason firing, it wouldn’t be a big deal. An in-season firing is a much different animal. Because while Elias wasn’t meeting with the media over those four days, the plays  — and others within the organization — were. They were now being forced to answer questions about their manager’s firing. Questions that, naturally, would be better addressed by the person who made the decision.