The Orioles today announced that they have opened the 2022-23 International Signing Period with 27 contract agreements, tied for the most in club history (2019-20). Highlighting the Orioles’ 2022-23 international signing class are: shortstop LUIS ALMEYDA, the highest-paid international signee in club history, shortstop JOSHUA LIRANZO, infielder JOSÉ MEJÍA, shortstop FÉLIX AMPARO, right-handed pitcher KEELER MORFE, shortstop LUIS GUEVARA, and left-handed pitcher FRANCISCO MORAO. Additionally, six more of the group are six-figure agreements. Of the 27 total agreements, 14 are from the Dominican Republic, 11 are from Venezuela, and one each from Colombia and Cuba. The signing class includes nine pitchers, eight infielders, six catchers, and four outfielders. 

Almeyda, 16, was born and grew up in New Jersey before moving to the Dominican Republic. He is ranked as the No. 17 international prospect by Baseball America and No. 20 by MLB Pipeline. He is a solid, everyday type of player who can impact the game with his combination of power and hit tools. He is short to the ball with a quick and explosive swing, flashing plus power potential. At six feet, two inches tall, Almeyda has the ball skills to play shortstop, but could move to third base as he matures. He is a solid defender with plus arm strength.

Liranzo, 16, is a shortstop from the Dominican Republic who showcases immense power with a loose swing and plus-plus bat speed. His power and hit tools give him the makings to be an everyday player capable of plus offensive production. In the field, he shows loose defensive action with good footwork and a plus arm. 

Mejía, 17, a native of the Dominican Republic, profiles as an offensive second baseman. He is regarded as one of the best hitters in the 2022-23 class. A strong fastball hitter who can see spin, he projects to have a hit tool of 60 with a chance to develop 50 power. Defensively, he is solid in the infield and makes the routine plays. A natural leader with good instincts, Mejía also speaks English, which can make for an easier transition to playing in the United States.

Amparo, 16, is a shortstop from the Dominican Republic with a chance to be a plus hitter in the future. Standing five feet, 10 inches tall and weighing in at 145 pounds, he showcases surprising pop for his frame and is an excellent fastball hitter. On the dirt, he has good feet and soft hands with superb body control and a plus arm. A plus runner, his combination of offense and speed will see him stick at shortstop. 

Less than one year ago, Victor Robles and the Nationals were unable to come to terms on a salary figure for the 2022 season, so the two sides filed for arbitration. This was after the lockout-delayed spring training had begun, creating a very narrow window for negotiations and for a hearing to be scheduled.

The disparity between the two sides’ official arbitration filings ($500,000) wasn’t nothing. Robles was seeking $2.1 million, while the Nats countered at $1.6 million. He was the team’s only arbitration-eligible player who didn’t sign before the deadline.

But as so often is the case in these matters, they did ultimately agree to a deal before ever setting foot in an arbitration hearing. Twelve days later, just as camp was about to wrap up, Robles and the Nationals agreed to a one-year, $1.65 million contract.

That’s right, Robles accepted an amount that was only $50,000 greater than the team’s official arbitration offer.

It was with that prior negotiation in mind that the two sides once again were unable to work out a deal prior to this year’s deadline, which came Friday night. So once again, Robles was the Nationals’ lone arbitration-eligible player who did not come to terms in time and was forced to submit a formal offer to the league.

The Orioles have made the following transactions:

• Agreed to terms with OF Austin Hays, SS Jorge Mateo, CF Cedric Mullins, OF Anthony Santander, and RHP Dillon Tate on one-year contracts for the 2023 season, avoiding arbitration.

The Orioles have made the following transactions:

• Agreed to terms with OF Austin Hays, SS Jorge Mateo, CF Cedric Mullins, OF Anthony Santander, and RHP Dillon Tate on one-year contracts for the 2023 season, avoiding arbitration.

The Orioles made the following roster move:

• Sent OF Luis De La Cruz to the New York Mets as the player to be named later to complete the C James McCann trade from December 21, 2022.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• INF/OF Ryan O’Hearn has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

The Nationals have acquired RHP Cristian Jimenez from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for RHP AJ Alexy, who was designated for assignment on Jan. 4.

The Orioles today announced that they have acquired left-handed pitcher DARWINZON HERNANDEZ from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations.

Hernandez, 26, went 0-1 with a 21.60 ERA (16 ER/6.2 IP), 14 hits, 17 total runs, four home runs, two hit batters, eight walks, and nine strikeouts in seven games with the Red Sox last season. He also appeared in 23 games (seven starts) for Triple-A Worcester in 2022. The left-hander is 3-4 with a 5.06 ERA (48 ER/85.1 IP) in 91 career MLB games (one start), all with Boston since 2019, including a 3.17 mark (17 ER/48.1 IP) in 55 combined games from 2020-21. A native of Venezuela, he was originally signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent in 2013.

Additionally, infielder LEWIN DÍAZ has been designated for assignment. The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

Lewin Díaz is on the move again, with the Orioles again removing a left-handed hitting first baseman from their 40-man roster but also increasing their bullpen depth with the corresponding move.

Left-handed reliever Darwinzon Hernandez was acquired from the Red Sox this afternoon for cash considerations. Díaz was designated for assignment again – his fifth time since the conclusion of the 2022 season.

Hernandez, 26, appeared in 91 games with the Red Sox over parts of four seasons and compiled a 5.06 ERA and 1.734 WHIP in 85 1/3 innings. He’s walked 73 batters but also struck out 133.

The 2021 season was encouraging for Hernandez despite an oblique strain that cost him more than a month, with the Venezuelan native posting a 3.38 ERA in 48 games, but he pitched in only seven last year and allowed 16 earned runs (17 total) with eight walks in 6 2/3 innings. He had a 5.73 ERA  and 1.485 WHIP in 23 games at Triple-A Worcester.

Hernandez was the Red Sox’s No. 4 prospect in 2019 and made his major league debut in May. He was optioned to begin the 2022 season, underwent knee surgery and didn’t rejoin Boston until July. His last appearance was Aug. 10, and the Red Sox designated him for assignment on Friday after signing free-agent infielder Justin Turner.

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with outfielder Corey Dickerson and designated right-handed pitcher Andrés Machado for assignment on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Dickerson, 33, hit .281 with a .324 on-base percentage and a .481 slugging percentage in 1,034 games across 10 Major League seasons with the Colorado Rockies, Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals. He recorded 230 doubles, 36 triples, 134 home runs, 452 RBI, 220 walks and 471 runs scored in that time fame. Dickerson was named an American League All-Star in 2017 with Tampa Bay and won a National League Rawlings Gold Glove in 2018 with Pittsburgh.

Last season, Dickerson hit .267 with 17 doubles, a triple, six home runs, 36 RBI and 12 walks in 96 games for the St. Louis Cardinals. He collected two hits in six at-bats (.333) during the 2022 Postseason. 

Dickerson has hit .300 or better in a season four times in his career (2014-15, 2018-19) and has hit 20 or more home runs in a season three times in his career (2014, 2016-17), including a career-high 27 homers in his 2017 All-Star campaign with Tampa Bay.

A native of McComb, Miss., Dickerson was selected in the eighth round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of Meridian Community College.

The Orioles today announced their 2023 promotional schedule highlighted by ADLEY RUTSCHMAN, RYAN MOUNTCASTLE, and FÉLIX BAUTISTA Bobbleheads, multiple t-shirt nights, an Orioles Floppy Hat presented by Miller Lite, Birdland Hawaiian Shirt, and an Orioles Purple Pride Jersey, presented by Royal Farms. The 2023 promotional schedule also features increased numbers of giveaway items, giving more fans the opportunity to receive promotional items at the gates prior to the game.

Baltimore will celebrate its youngest fans at Kids Opening Day, presented by Weis Markets, on Sunday, April 9. As part of the celebration, fans will take home an Oriole Bird Nickelodeon Bobblehead, presented by Weis Markets. 

Orioles Legend and Hall of Famer EDDIE MURRAY will be honored as part of the 40^th anniversary of the 1983 World Series on Saturday, August 5, when fans will receive an Eddie Murray Bobblehead, presented by Royal Farms.

Fans will also receive an Adley Rutschman Bobblehead Inspired By Captain America as part of the first-ever Marvel Super Hero^TM Night on Saturday, June 10.

Returning this year are popular fan favorites, including the Orioles Floppy Hat, presented by Miller Lite, on Friday, June 30, Birdland Hawaiian Shirt on Saturday, July 1, and Orioles Soccer Jersey, presented by Pepsi Zero Sugar, on Saturday, July 15.

The Washington Nationals conclude their preseason schedule against the reigning American League East champion New York Yankees at Nationals Park on Tuesday, March 28 at 12:05 PM. Tickets are on sale now at nationals.com/Tickets.

Just two days before Opening Day, fans have the unique opportunity to watch the Nationals go up against AL home run king Aaron Judge and the rest of the Yankees in the squad’s final tune-up before the official start of the regular season. Broadcast information for the game will be announced at a later date.

Tickets for the exhibition game and all regular-season games except Opening Day are on sale now at nationals.com/Tickets. Tickets for the Nationals’ Opening Day game vs. the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, March 30, go on sale later this month with special presale access for Season Plan Holders and Fan Club members.

The Orioles today announced the return of the club’s ‘Birdland Caravan,’ a four-day winter tour, that will take place from Thursday, February 2, through Sunday, February 5, at multiple locations throughout the region. The first such weekend-long celebration since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic will include autograph sessions and happy hours with current Orioles players, top prospects, broadcasters, members of the front office, and the Oriole Bird. 

New in 2023, the caravan will make stops at Bowlero College Park and Topgolf Baltimore to give fans a unique and fun opportunity to interact with Orioles players and staff as they bowl and tee off with fans. The tour will also feature a community service project with the Maryland Food Bank, closed to the public, as well as fan rallies at Bel Air High School, Wilde Lake High School, and Winters Mill High School that are open to fans of all ages. Designed to take the Oriole Park experience directly to the fans, the Birdland Caravan will make stops throughout Maryland in Baltimore City, Bel Air, Bowie, College Park, Columbia, Frederick, Odenton, Salisbury, Towson, and Westminster, as well as York, Pa. Fans in Elkridge and Owings Mills will also have the opportunity to meet and take photos with the Oriole Bird.

“We are excited to reintroduce the Birdland Caravan to our fans throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and engage with them beyond the ballpark,” said JENNIFER GRONDAHL, Orioles Senior Vice President, Community Development and Communications. “The weekend’s events will feature unique opportunities to interact with players, prospects, and staff, in a larger geographical circle than ever before. We’re eager to get back out into our communities and celebrate the exciting present and future of Orioles Baseball.” 

Current Orioles participating in select events include BRYAN BAKER, FÉLIX BAUTISTA, DL HALL, AUSTIN HAYS, GUNNAR HENDERSON, JOEY KREHBIEL, DEAN KREMER, RYAN McKENNA, JOHN MEANS, RYAN MOUNTCASTLE, ADLEY RUTSCHMAN, KYLE STOWERS, RAMÓN URÍAS, TERRIN VAVRA, and NICK VESPI, along with Orioles prospects HESTON KJERSTAD and GRAYSON RODRIGUEZ. Additionally, Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager MIKE ELIAS, Vice President and Assistant General Manager, Analytics SIG MEJDAL, Assistant General Manager, Baseball Operations EVE ROSENBAUM, and Manager BRANDON HYDE, a BBWAA American League Manager of the Year finalist, Baseball America Manager of the Year, and the Sporting News AL Manager of the Year, will attend select events throughout the weekend. 

Tickets are required for autograph signings, Bowlero, and Topgolf events. Fans must purchase tickets in advance as availability will be limited. Tickets will go on sale online this Wednesday, January 11 at 10:00 a.m. ET, at Orioles.com/Caravan.

With all the recent talk about backups at first base and a lefty hitter that can play there to complement Ryan Mountcastle in 2023, I went back and took another look at Mountcastle’s 2022 season. We know it was not as productive as his 2021 when he hit an Orioles rookie record 33 homers. That number dropped to 22 last year.

And it cannot all be about wall ball and the moving back of the left-field fence. With mostly shorter dimensions than Camden Yards in left in road games, Mountcastle hit 11 road game homers and 11 at home last season. He hit one homer every 25.2 at-bats at home and one every 25.3 on the road. The dimensions and different ballparks didn’t make much difference here.

But if Mountcastle’s actual stats could have mimicked his expected stats, he might have been one of the better hitters in the league. No exaggeration here.

His final actual slugging percentage for the year was .423, which ranked 38^th in the American League among qualified hitters. But his expected slugging percentage of .509 would have tied AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez of Seattle for seventh-best in the actual final AL slugging leaders. That slugging percentage would have moved him ahead of the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kyle Tucker, Anthony Rizzo, George Springer and Carlos Correa.

MLB.com defines expected slugging as a stat that is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle and, on certain types of batted balls, sprint speed. In the same way that each batted ball is assigned an expected batting average, every batted ball is given a single, double, triple and home run probability based on the results of comparable batted balls since Statcast was implemented Major League wide in 2015. For the majority of batted balls, this is achieved using only exit velocity and launch angle.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Claimed INF Lewin Díaz off waivers from the Atlanta Braves.
• Designated INF Ryan O’Hearn for assignment.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

The Nationals have signed the following players to Minor League contracts with invites to 2023 MLB Spring Training: LHP Anthony Banda, INF Michael Chavis and LHP Francisco Pérez.

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with first baseman Dominic Smith and designated right-handed pitcher A.J. Alexy for assignment on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Smith, 27, hit .246 with a .308 on-base percentage and a .424 slugging percentage in 447 games across six Major League seasons with the New York Mets. He recorded 78 doubles, three triples, 46 home runs, 179 RBI, 95 walks and 147 runs scored in that time fame. Smith hit double-digit home runs in three of his last four seasons.

From 2019 through 2021, Smith slashed .269/.332/.455 while clubbing 51 doubles, one triple, 32 homers and 125 RBI in 284 games. He set or matched career marks in nearly every offensive category in 2021, including home runs (11), runs (43), hits (109), RBI (58), walks (32) and stolen bases (two).

 Smith ranked among National League hitters in doubles (2^nd, 21), extra-base hits (T2^nd, 32), OPS (4^th, .993), slugging percentage (4^th, .616), RBI (T5^th, 42) and batting average (8^th, .316) during the 60-game season in 2020.

Smith appeared in 58 Major League games in 2022, hitting .194 with 10 doubles, one triple, 17 RBI, 12 walks and 11 runs scored. He hit .284/.367/.472 with 11 doubles, 10 homers, 38 RBI, 25 walks, four stolen bases and 42 runs scored in 54 games with Triple-A Syracuse. 

The Orioles today announced that they have acquired infielder/outfielder RYAN O’HEARN from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for cash considerations.

 O’Hearn, 29, slashed .239/.290/.321 (32-for-134) with six doubles, one triple, one home run, 14 runs scored, 16 RBI, and eight walks in 67 games with the Royals last season. He spent the entire year on the active roster and led all Major League players with 11 hits as a pinch-hitter, becoming the seventh Royal in team history with 10-or-more pinch-hit hits in one season. In 342 career MLB games, all with Kansas City, he has batted .219/.293/.390 (210-for-960) with 40 doubles, five triples, 38 home runs, 99 runs scored, 131 RBI, and 98 walks. He was originally selected by the Royals in the eighth round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Sam Houston State University (TX).

 Additionally, right-handed pitcher CHRIS VALLIMONT has been designated for assignment. The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

On Aug. 30, 2020 the Orioles traded reliever Mychal Givens to the Colorado Rockies for three players, including Tyler Nevin. Recently Givens rejoined the Orioles, but now Nevin is officially leaving the organization.

Designated for assignment on Dec. 21 when the club acquired catcher James McCann from the New York Mets, Nevin was traded to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations Saturday night. The New Year’s Eve move beats the end of 2022 by several hours in what is likely the club’s final move of this calendar year.

Nevin, 25, played in 58 games for the Orioles in 2022 and in 184 plate appearances batted .197/.299/.261/.500 with four doubles, two homers and 16 RBIs. He debuted for the Orioles in 2021, going 4-for-14 (.286). In 64 career games he hit .205 with a .604 OPS.

In parts of the last two seasons for the Orioles, Nevin made starts at first base, third base, left and right field. Most of his starts came at third in 2022 when he made 40 starts at the hot corner.

This past season for Triple-A Norfolk, Nevin batted .291/.382/.479/.861 in 44 games for the Tides. Nevin tied Norfolk's franchise record and set a professional career high with eight RBIs on April 15 versus Scranton. He went 3-for-6 and hit his first career grand slam in the second inning.

The Orioles have traded Tyler Nevin to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations.

Nevin was designated for assignment on Dec. 21.