New year dawns with some familiar questions

Today we begin a new year, but we are still a ways away from beginning a new baseball season. The calendar flips today, but some of the old questions didn't go away at midnight. We still wait to find out if spring training will start on time and whether each team will play 162 games in 2021.

My hope for the new year in baseball is that it at least ends with some and maybe complete normalcy. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Even if it starts with limitations, maybe they will be gone by the end of the year.

Fans can return to the stands. Reporters, all of them, can return to press boxes. Zoom interviews are nice, but maybe we'll actually get to do in-person interviews. If reporters get to return to the clubhouses by the end of the year, that would be amazing. I'll take that. Hopefully, the powers that be will always understand that more access to their players for media coverage leads to more interest in those players and in the game.

As we look ahead to the new season, here are a few questions for Orioles fans to start a year and look ahead.

* How many games will Major League Baseball be able to play in 2021?

* Will O's top prospect Adley Rutschman debut in 2021? Provide some reasons whether you feel that should or should not happen.

* Which Orioles pitcher yet to make his major league debut will be the first to debut this season? Which pitcher will get the most starts among that group?

* Who will be the Most Valuable Oriole at the end of the season?

* Which player or players could be on the trade block leading up to the trade deadline?

Feel free to ease into your year by only answering one of these questions or send in some opinions and responses on all five. Happy new year!