If you were looking for an indication about whether or not the Major League Baseball season will start on time in 2027, with a lockout potentially looming, here’s a sign: the Baltimore Orioles just laid both of their mascots.
That’s right. Not even Oriole Bird and Mr. Splash are safe from the downsizing measures already being implemented. One source with direct knowledge of layoffs told the Baltimore Banner that it was a “bloodbath.”
The Athletic reported Tuesday that the Baltimore Orioles laid off at least 16 employees, including those who played Mr. Splash and Oriole Bird, affecting everything from ticket sales to graphic design. According to team sources, the firings also affected other areas, including food and beverage.
“Some of the people leaving have been here for more than a decade, others for a much shorter time, and every one of them was part of our team. To many of you, they are friends as well as coworkers,” Orioles president of business operations Catie Griggs wrote in an internal memo obtained by The Baltimore Sun. “For those of you who have been here a long time, today may also feel like losing part of what this place has been. That history matters, and it remains part of who we are. We’re grateful for what each of them gave this organization.”
Despite the reported layoff of Mr. Splash, who made his Orioles debut in May 2023, the team says it intends to keep running its Bird Bath section in left field. Mr. Splash has been responsible for spraying the fans in the section with water whenever the team connects on extra-base hits. He is still listed on the Orioles’ website in the Marketing & Product Development as the Chief Hydration Officer, however.
The layoffs appear to have been made in preparation for a lockout
No mascots, fewer food and beverage workers, and fewer ticket-sales employees? Sounds like the Orioles are preparing for a lockout.
“These decisions were about making sure our teams are built and staffed for the work ahead, not about reducing headcount,” Griggs wrote in the memo. “We’re continuing to recruit for critical roles and will add talent in areas where we have clear needs.”
An Orioles representative acknowledged that the business operations division was undergoing changes, but they would not elaborate. The spokesperson said the team does not comment on employment issues.
The players and owners appear to be miles apart in their collective bargaining agreement negotiations. Beyond changes to the amateur draft that players will never approve, the MLB owners have proposed a salary cap that players will never let happen because they say it would cut player pay by $500 million.