The virtual 2020 Winter Meetings are off and running from ... well, everywhere. For the Orioles, that means remotely replicating as much of what would normally be a frantic week of in-person meetings, strategizing and potentially deal-making as possible. It looks different in 2020. But it’s an adjustment the Orioles are making along with Major League Baseball at large.

“I think all of us took the Winter Meetings for granted but this year makes me appreciate them even more," O’s general manager and executive vice president Mike Elias said on Zoom from his home Tuesday. “I do sense a little greater level of conversation on the team-to-team front over the past few days."

Here are some takeaways from Elias’ meeting with reporters on Tuesday, and what the Orioles could be up to this week:

1. The shopping list starts at shortstop

This need is obvious. The solution? Not so much. Trading veteran shortstop José Iglesias to the Angels at last week’s non-tender deadline reinforced how the rebuilding Orioles remain in talent-acquisition mode, but it also left a sizable short-term hole in their middle infield they might need to fill creatively.

The full-time free-agent shortstop market is thin and top-heavy, consisting mainly of veterans likely to command multiyear deals out of Baltimore’s price range. Speaking generally, Elias said there was “no reason to expect” the Orioles would hand out a multi-year contract to anyone this winter, while leaving the door open for that to change. That could force the O’s to compete for a buy-low option like Freddy Galvis, or recent non-tenders known more for their versatility.

“We’re looking to add talent smartly at the Major League level without compromising our broad strategic goals,” Elias said. "We’re looking at a broad spectrum of guys on the shortstop market. There are names of many-year veterans who have been starting shortstops. ... There are other young players either on the trade market or free-agent market that have not established themselves yet but would be interesting entrances to our infield mix and would probably be the odds-on favorite to start at shortstop for our team.”

2. They are also looking for starting pitch depth

When asked about his shopping priorities this week, Elias cited shortstop and starting pitching depth specifically. The Orioles are expected to sign at least one veteran pitcher this winter, whether on a Major or Minor League deal. But it doesn’t have to be this week, and probably won’t be.

It took until late last January for the O’s to ink Wade LeBlanc and after Spring Training opened to sign Tommy Milone; they’ll be targeting similar reclamation types this offseason, just with less urgency. They’re looking more to support the group of John Means, Alex Cobb and exciting rookies Keegan Akin, Dean Kremer, and Bruce Zimmermann, rather than find a long-term rotation solution in free agency.

“We’re certainly in the market for [starting pitching], even though I feel we have a strong group entering the year in terms of the rotation,” Elias said. “I do think we have opportunity to sell in terms of ours being a relatively easy team to crack.”

3. Could Alex Cobb be on the move?

That calculus changes if the Orioles can deal Cobb, one of the few traditional veteran trade chips remaining on their exceedingly young roster. But Elias acknowledged Tuesday that could be difficult, despite his expectation Cobb will garner trade interest both this week and in the months to come. Elias cited the leadership role Cobb is serving after returning healthy to go 2-5 with a 4.30 ERA in 2020; the real hurdle, though, is financial. Cobb, who has been injury-prone and collectively a below-league average pitcher in Baltimore since 2018, is set to earn $15 million in the final season of his four-year, $57 million contract.

4. Coaching hire a’comin’

The one aspect of the O’s big league operation that figures to look different by later this week is manager Brandon Hyde’s field staff. The Orioles are deep in the hiring process to replace departed infield/third-base coach Jose Flores, according to Elias, though the candidate remains unknown. That would give Hyde an eight-man coaching staff, after the O’s promoted Chris Holt to replace departed pitching coach Doug Brocail in November. It’s unclear if Flores’ replacement will take over as third-base coach, or if the O’s will shift those duties to someone already on staff.

5. Rule 5 Draft

Let’s round out these five with the Rule 5 Draft. Yes, Elias confirmed the Orioles are expected to make at least one selection in Thursday’s Rule 5 Draft, which they’ve done every year since 2006. The O’s own the No. 5 pick this year and have two open 40-man roster spots. They made two selections at last year’s Meetings, ultimately returning Brandon Bailey and Michael Rucker during Spring Training.