WASHINGTON, D.C. — David Rubenstein hit his compatriots with the blunt witticisms that have become commonplace for the Orioles’ principal owner. He made Cal Ripken Jr. squirm, prompted Mike Elias to chuckle awkwardly and got co-owner Michael Arougheti to disavow any possible childhood Yankees allegiance.

During a panel at The Economic Club of Washington, D.C., of which Rubenstein is the chairman, the brain trust of the Orioles’ baseball and business operations answered questions on a variety of subjects from their boss himself.

Will Barry Bonds, Pete Rose and others accused of breaking Major League Baseball rules ever be inducted into the Hall of Fame? Ripken sweated out a nonanswer.

“What was it like to get blamed every day?” Rubenstein asked Elias, his president of baseball operations, in regard to the disappointing nature of 2025. Elias saw the tweets.

“You were a fan of, I assume, the Yankees? You grew up in New York,” Rubenstein asked Arougheti. Arougheti was quick on his feet: “You can put this in the paper. I hate the Yankees as much as anyone.”

The panel, which consisted of Arougheti, Elias, Ripken, president of business operations Catie Griggs and manager Craig Albernaz, lasted for almost an hour. It drew laughs. It also featured some relevant information for an audience broader than the business leaders in attendance.

Arougheti’s path to Baltimore

Rubenstein is a front-facing owner. He appears publicly in various capacities, whether discussing politics, history, business or his sports franchise. Arougheti is more removed from the spotlight, but his influence could be just as great.

Arougheti, tabbed by Rubenstein as the “logical person” to become controlling owner one day, described himself as a baseball fanatic whose dream was to find a way to be involved in the game. He found it in Baltimore when Rubenstein called to ask whether he’d like to join a venture.

“When David Rubenstein calls and asks you to do something, we all just say, ‘Sure, David!’” Arougheti joked.

In reality, research preceded his acquisition of the Orioles.

“From the outside looking in, you see a team that is a historic franchise, with one of the best stadiums — if not the most iconic stadium — in all of sports, unbelievable and deep, passionate fan base, a young core of talent,” Arougheti said. “You check every box in terms of where you’d want to get involved.”

When Rubenstein asked Arougheti to explain the role of an owner, the CEO of investment firm Ares Management said it’s quite simple.

“We basically sit around, wait for the phone to ring, the general manager calls you and says, ‘How would you like to part with $200 million?’” Arougheti said. “All kidding aside, the way I’m experiencing ownership ... is you’re a superfan, but you actually have the ability to influence outcomes, which comes with great joy but also great responsibility.

“For me, that’s what it feels like. I’m watching every pitch of every game the same way I did before we owned a team. I’m thinking about it, I’m talking baseball with you guys. But I feel like I can do something about it, and I feel the wins and losses a lot more than I used to.”

Arougheti said he’s “all in on Baltimore” and isn’t looking to expand his sports ownership profile.

“This is my focus,” Arougheti said. “This is my passion. And we gotta win.”

Premium club will feature ‘iconic’ view

Among the major renovations that are underway at Camden Yards this winter is the addition of a premium club space where the press box used to sit since the ballpark opened in 1992, above the 100-level seats behind home plate.

Griggs said the new premium club area will be “one of the most iconic spots in all of baseball.” She said it boasts “an incredible view right behind home plate” and will have all-inclusive dining options. Griggs joked that fans will most appreciate that area of the stadium when the weather turns sour.

“The first rain delay, when you look up from your seats and you see a bunch of people who are warm, dry and drinking a glass of wine or beer, it’s where you’re going to want to be,” she said.

Arougheti chimed in to add his support of the new section, which is geared toward fans wanting a high-end ballpark experience. Arougheti said he has visited every major league ballpark, and when he visited Camden Yards on Tuesday, he came away with the feeling that Baltimore had created the “nicest club space that I’ve ever seen.”

“I’m not just being a homer,” Arougheti said. “The sight lines, the levels, the spaciousness, the quality of what you (Griggs) put together I think is going to be quite shortly known as kind of the best place to watch a game in all of baseball.”

But Griggs, who joined the Orioles in 2024 from the Seattle Mariners, said fan feedback made it clear that options at different price points were desirable.

“We have fans who are willing to pay for a premium experience, but we also have fans who come, they want to get a $15 ticket, they want to have affordability to feed their children,” Griggs said. “We have the opportunity for our fans to get into the ballpark, buy four tickets, get four hot dogs, get four beverages and be out for less than $100. You can’t even go to the movies for that.”

Finding on-field answers

Rubenstein could’ve answered this question himself, but instead he made Elias shift in his seat in front of an auditorium of listeners. Are the Orioles still in the market for additions, particularly to the starting rotation?

Elias played it close to the vest with a smirk.

“I am judiciously looking to improve the roster until spring training starts, and we are assessing opportunities,” Elias said.

The Orioles, who finished 75-87 last year and missed the postseason, have responded with an active offseason that includes the signings of first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Ryan Helsley. But there remains room at the top of Baltimore’s rotation for a splash, and the Orioles are in the market for left-handers Ranger Suárez and Framber Valdez, among others, sources said.

In Rubenstein’s dry style, he pointed out that much of the fan fervor around the poor 2025 campaign was likely directed Elias’ way rather than the owners’. When asked how he handled the heat, Elias admitted that it was hard to ignore online criticism.

“In my line of work, you have to use Twitter, or X, a lot,” Elias said. “You really need to follow it. To have the experience where the entire platform is screaming at you, personally, was a fun one. So, yeah, the season didn’t go to plan, but I think we finished up in a really strong spot and we’re incredibly excited about what we’re building for 2026.”