Orioles' Mike Elias: Goal In Abbreviated 2020 MLB Season Is To Be 'Unpredictable Young Team'
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore Orioles General Manager Mike Elias said he's excited to embark on the upcoming baseball season set to begin July 23 after being delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Workouts at Camden Yards will begin this week. The last time the team met for practice was on March 12 in Sarasota when spring training was canceled.
The team will play in an abbreviated 60-game season with all games happening in the Eastern time zone to limit travel amid the pandemic.
The O's are in rebuild mode, trying to develop young players for the future, but a short season can lead to unpredictable team performances. They could take advantage of a long season turning into a sprint and maybe win more games than expected.
"It makes things a little less predictable," Elias said Monday. "The fact that the pitchers may not be totally built up at the beginning of the year and then you get some extra roster spots and some more pitching changes, maybe that helps us, maybe it doesn't, but I think it creates a little uncertainty. I think our goal is just to be kind of an unpredictable young team that's scary to play in these circumstances and that we mix things up."
Elias said he's aware of the possibility that some Orioles players may choose not to play because of coronavirus concerns. Washington Nationals veteran infielder Ryan Zimmerman said he won't play due to concerns about his family's health.