Adjusting to home version of Winter Meetings

The elimination of in-person Winter Meetings reduces one longstanding debate.

Do they technically begin on Sunday or Monday?

This isn't a heated discussion and it's more likely to be confined to my own head.

I considered Sunday to be a travel day, though news could break - such as the Blue Jays targeting executive Dan Duquette for their president position, which we learned while on the same flight, or the Orioles nearing an agreement with veteran reliever Darren O'Day - and on occasion the beat crew was granted access to the general manager.

Otherwise, I maintained my sanity by boiling down the meetings to 72 hours. Sunday didn't count because it was reserved for flights, and Thursday didn't really count because just about everyone bolted for the airport immediately after filing their stories on the Rule 5 draft.

Only three full days would be set aside for, in my opinion, the worst assignment of the year. My complaining and unnecessary stressing over it is legendary. Gift shops could sell T-shirts and coffee mugs with my most popular gripes.

Travel has been put on timeout due to COVID-19. Otherwise, I would have flown into Dallas yesterday and probably wondered whether Buck Showalter wanted to grab a late beer. Or if he'd be seen in the lobby, fueling rumors about his next gig.

This morning would have been about getting into the media workroom much too early after stopping at Starbucks - which I pretty much consume only at these meetings - and finding the nearest breakfast sandwich. I'm already attached to Twitter as if it's one of my limbs. I've already got my head on a swivel as I walk through the lobby, hoping to find someone who might pass along a few useful tidbits that create a "buzz" for my notebook.

Good luck detecting a buzz from home unless you start happy hour at noon.

A recent example of the lobby kind occurred last year in San Diego - an ideal location for the meetings because you don't burn 45 minutes walking from the workroom to the front desk - when I heard that the Orioles expressed interest in reliever Fernando Abad. Nothing came of it, however, because the Nationals stepped up with a better offer. But the Orioles did kick the tires on Abad, as they say in the business.

This is the perfect segue to the Winter Meetings handbook with popular terms that you'll be hearing. Teams kicking the tires on a player or just expressing interest. Teams having internal discussions about a player. Executives reaching out to other executives or agents.

I don't totally mock the "internal discussions" phrase because a name coming up indicates some level of interest. Otherwise, the player wouldn't warrant a conversation. But it doesn't necessarily mean that an offer is pending or it's anything serious.

The Orioles don't usually make a big splash, which keeps them away from the podium. But the last few years have brought an early transaction to satisfy the appetites of media and fans.

Being able to provide copy is essential. And it sure beats making up something.

Let us be reminded that the Orioles selected third baseman Rio Ruiz off waivers from the Braves on Dec. 10, 2018. The dateline on my story is Las Vegas and it would have been a huge gamble for anyone to assume that I heard of Ruiz.

Ah, the beauty of Google and Baseball-Reference.com. Two solid starting points.

The announcement came while I sat in the workroom, probably stressing over the gap in time between my morning blog entry and my next filing. Receiving news on Ruiz felt the same as being tossed a life preserver.

A minor transaction on the surface would prove much bigger with Ruiz becoming the regular third baseman. Don't be quick to dismiss a press release.

The story also contained a local angle with the Orioles subtracting Maryland native Ryan Meisinger from the 40-man roster. The Cardinals claimed him off waivers.

Meisinger attended Northern High School in Calvert County and made his major league debut on June 29, 2018 at Camden Yards.

My story that day also included how the Orioles couldn't participate in the manager scrum because they still didn't have a replacement for Showalter. It mentioned how they interviewed Mike Bell, younger brother of Reds manager David Bell.

I tossed in this graph:

"The Orioles also have reportedly talked to Nationals bench coach Chip Hale, Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde, Royals quality control/catching coach Pedro Grifol and Rockies bench coach Mike Redmond. Astros bench coach Joe Espada won't interview for the job, which is his choice."

We know how this one ended. With news breaking, a bit prematurely, that the Orioles hired Hyde. They still were in the process of doing so, but he was their choice.

The Orioles tried to toss the media another bone in last year's meetings by claiming right-hander Marcos Diplán off waivers from the Tigers on the first day.

More early copy. So sweet.

This one wasn't as impactful as the Ruiz acquisition.

The Orioles re-signed Diplán to a minor league deal in October. He's eligible for the Rule 5 draft.

The 2017 meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., concluded with Duquette dropping news following the Rule 5 draft. The team signed pitcher Michael Kelly to a major league contract.

Not exactly what you want to hear while trying to catch a flight home. And after the Orioles made three selections in the Rule 5 - pitchers Nestor Cortes Jr., Pedro Araujo and José Mesa Jr.

Kelly was a minor league free agent, but received a spot on the 40-man roster.

The Orioles designated Kelly for assignment on March 29, 2018. He made 25 of his 31 appearances at Double-A Bowie and had a 9.11 ERA and 2.148 WHIP in 56 1/3 innings. He allowed 57 earned runs and walked 66 batters. And then he became a minor league free agent.

If you really want to get nostalgic, Kelly was designated on the same day as pitchers Stefan Crichton, Alec Asher and Jesus Liranzo in order to make room for Craig Gentry, Colby Rasmus, Pedro Álvarez and Danny Valencia on the opening day and 40-man rosters.

Chris Davis batted leadoff against the Twins at Camden Yards.

What will the 2020 meetings bring?

Not a Starbucks run from me.

Note: The Orioles signed right-hander Conner Greene to a minor league deal last week.

Greene, 25, was the Blue Jays' seventh-round draft pick in 2013 out of Santa Monica (Calif.) High School. He's never reached the majors.

Greene also has pitched in the Cardinals and Royals systems - he was part of the Randal Grichuck trade - and owns a 4.22 ERA and 1.468 WHIP in 172 games (117 starts).