Bold headline: Orioles bring back Robinson Chirinos, but this time to develop the next generation. In a new role with the baseball operations and player development department, former catcher Robinson Chirinos will serve as a special assistant, focusing on mentoring players, coaches, and staff across Baltimore’s lower levels while reinforcing the organization’s philosophies.
Chirinos, now 41, spent parts of his major league career from 2011 to 2022 and announced his retirement in May 2023. He quickly shifted to coaching, joining the Orioles as bench coach in November 2024 under manager Brandon Hyde. His first season in that role proved eventful: the team underperformed in 2025, triggering a mid-season shake-up that saw Hyde ousted in May. Typically, a mid-season managerial change can prompt a bench coach to step in, but Chirinos was still early in his coaching career. The Orioles named third-base coach Tony Mansolino interim manager instead.
After the 2025 season, further changes followed: Craig Albernaz was hired as the new manager in late October, and reports soon indicated Chirinos would not return to the bench coach position. Donnie Ecker was later brought in to fill that role. Now, Chirinos will contribute from a development perspective, not from the dugout, with the aim of guiding and accelerating the progress of younger prospects who may reach Baltimore’s roster in coming years.
Photo by Mitch Stringer, Imagn Images
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