The general manager of the Aberdeen IronBirds said the Orioles' short-season affiliate is preparing to transition to a schedule double in length. The Delmarva Shorebirds' GM thinks the Low-A team’s recent ballpark upgrades have it positioned for the future. The owner of Baltimore’s three highest minor league affiliates is confident they will remain so even as Major League Baseball’s development pipeline contracts.
MLB has already begun whittling the number of affiliated minor league organizations from the previous 160 toward its desired 120, a plan first reported this time last year. That was before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league season and simultaneously devastated teams' finances.