Two years into the rebuilding process that the Orioles hope will deliver a modern player-development-centric franchise that competes in the richest division in baseball, there’s an understanding among those around the team that what they see every night on the field is something of a placeholder for those future contenders.
The coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing shutdown on all levels of baseball, from the big leagues on down through the minors and amateur levels, extremely altered the Orioles’ plans for the year. They’ll get a chance to play big league games, but the cancellation of the minor league season dramatically affects the development of their top prospects, the cornerstone of any future major league success at Oriole Park.