The Orioles made news on Monday, hiring MLBbro Jared Banner as their general manager. He will work alongside Mike Elias, the team’s president of baseball operations.
Banner will lead the organization’s player development and performance efforts, while also partnering with Elias on strategy, staffing and talent acquisitions, among other duties.
“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.”
Jared Banner, 41, Has Excellent Resume
Before joining the Orioles, Banner was a long-time executive with the Cubs, most recently serving as an assistant general manager, a position he held since January 2024. He first joined the Cubs organization in December of 2020 as vice president of special projects, and continued as vice president of player development from 2022-23.
Banner is best remembered for convincing the Cubs to acquire outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong from the Mets for infielder Javier Báez, right-hander Trevor Williams and cash in 2021. Before joining the Cubs, Banner was New York’s farm director and played a role in developing Crow-Armstrong, who is currently the leading candidate to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award.
Following his graduation from Amherst College in 2007, Banner knew playing professional baseball wasn’t going to be his future. According to MLB.com, he wanted to work in a front office. Long-time Amherst baseball coach Bill Thurston hooked up Banner with Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, who was then working for the Red Sox as the team’s vice president of player personnel.
Banner Learned From Theo Espstein, Jed Hoyer, Dave Dombrowski & Allard Baird
Banner and Cherington both attended Amherst and played for Thurston — 11 years apart. Cherington made Banner an intern in player development. Banner lasted a little more than 10 years with Boston. He moved up along the way, becoming an assistant to player development in 2008 before becoming vice president of player personnel in 2018. In those 10-plus years, Cherington wasn’t the only one Banner learned from in the Red Sox organization.
“I had the chance to learn from some really special people – some really great baseball minds like Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, Dave Dombrowski and Allard Baird. The list goes on and on,” Banner told MLB.com.
After receiving three World Series rings (2007, ’13 and ’18) with Boston, Banner worked for the Mets for two years in player development before joining the Cubs.
