The Orioles today announced that they have acquired outfielder TAYLOR WARD from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for right-handed pitcher GRAYSON RODRIGUEZ.

Ward, 31, slashed .228/.317/.475 (132-for-579) with 31 doubles, two triples, 36 home runs, 86 runs scored, 103 RBI, and 75 walks in 157 games last season, setting career highs in games played, runs, doubles, homers, RBI, walks, slugging percentage, extra-base hits (69), and total bases (275). He finished tied for fifth in the AL in home runs, ranked sixth in RBI, and seventh in walks and extra-base hits. Ward became the third Angel since 2018 to drive in 100 runs, along with Mike Trout (104 RBI, 2019) and Shohei Ohtani (100 RBI, 2021). Of his 36 home runs, 35 came as the left fielder, setting the team’s franchise record (since 1961) for that position.

Ward has spent his entire major league career with the Angels after being selected in the first round (26^th overall) of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Fresno State University (CA). He became the 21^st Angel to hit 100 home runs with the team on July 19, 2025 at Philadelphia, doing so in his 643^rd game with the Halos. His six career grand slams, all hit since 2021, are tied for second most in the AL during that time.

Rodriguez, 26, was selected by the Orioles in the first round (11^th overall) of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Central Heights (TX) High School. He missed the 2025 season with right elbow inflammation and a right lat strain. In two major league seasons with Baltimore from 2023-24, Rodriguez went 20-8 with a 4.11 ERA (109 ER/238.2 IP) and 259 strikeouts in 43 games started.

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

The Orioles weren’t done making 40-man roster moves early this evening.

In a surprising piece of news, the Orioles have traded pitcher Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels for outfielder Taylor Ward. They get the power bat that fits in the most logical space for it. They surrender the future ace who never got to that level.

The teams made the announcement late tonight.

Ward turns 32 next month and is a rental with free agency coming after the 2026 season. The Angels made him the 26^th overall selection in the 2015 draft out of Fresno State and he’s hit .247/.327/.439 in 704 games in eight seasons. He’s appeared in 156 and 157 games over the last two with 663 plate appearances in both seasons.

The Dayton, Ohio native is coming off a career year with 31 doubles, 36 home runs, 103 RBIs, 75 walks and 86 runs scored. He also posted a .228 average that’s his lowest over a full season.

The Orioles are protecting right-hander Cameron Foster and outfielder Reed Trimble in the Rule 5 Draft.

Foster and Trimble had their contracts selected and were placed on the 40-man roster earlier today. Outfielder Pedro León and infielder Luis Vázquez were designated for assignment to create room.

Foster, 26, and right-hander Wellington Aracena were acquired from the Mets at the trade deadline for left-handed reliever Gregory Soto. Foster made 13 relief appearances with Triple-A Norfolk and posted a 3.38 ERA and 1.375 WHIP in 16 innings, with eight walks and 23 strikeouts. He has a 3.75 ERA in 79 minor league games and 215 strikeouts over 199 1/3 innings.

Trimble, 25, was a second-round pick in the 2021 draft out of the University of Southern Mississippi. He’s a career .251/.344/.420 hitter in five minor league seasons and has stolen 61 bases without being caught.

Trimble batted .259/.319/.435 this year in 30 games with Norfolk and .257/.352/.503 in 53 games with Double­-A Chesapeake. He plays all three outfield positions.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Selected the contracts of RHP Cameron Foster and OF Reed Trimble from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Designated OF Pedro León and INF Luis Vázquez for assignment.

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

The Nationals added left-hander Jake Bennett, outfielder Christian Franklin and right-hander Riley Cornelio to their 40-man roster this afternoon, protecting all three prospects from being lost in next month’s Rule 5 Draft and signaling the new front office’s interest in them as potential parts of the club’s long-term plans.

Faced with a 6 p.m. EST deadline to purchase the contracts of any minor leaguers who are Rule 5-eligible this winter, new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and his assistants chose to add Bennett, Franklin and Cornelio. None is likely to make the Nats’ Opening Day roster, but all three could find their way to the majors sometime during the 2026 season.

Bennett is the organization’s sixth-best prospect, according to Baseball America. The 24-year-old lefty, a second-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Oklahoma, made 18 starts (plus one relief appearance) for three minor league affiliates this season, finishing with a 2.27 ERA and 1.075 WHIP for Double-A Harrisburg, High-A Wilmington and Single-A Fredericksburg. He went on to pitch in the Arizona Fall League, posting a 4.50 ERA, with a league-high 25 strikeouts and only five walks in 20 innings.

This was Bennett’s first season back from Tommy John surgery, and he was limited to a total of 95 1/3 innings across all of his stops. It remains to be seen if he’ll open 2026 back at Harrisburg or at Triple-A Rochester, but as a new member of the 40-man roster, he’ll be in big league camp next spring regardless.

Franklin, 25, was one of two prospects the Nationals acquired from the Cubs at the trade deadline for right-hander Michael Soroka and quickly made a name for himself with a strong 31-game stint at Rochester to close out the season. Combined with the 86 games he played for Chicago’s Triple-A affiliate in Iowa, he finished the year with a .272/.390/.427 slash line, 23 doubles, five triples, 12 homers, 64 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• Agreed to terms on a 2026 minor league contract with RHP Jeisson Cabrera.

The Washington Nationals selected the contracts of left-handed pitcher Jake Bennett, right-handed pitcher Riley Cornelio and outfielder Christian Franklin on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni made the announcements.

Bennett, 24, went 2-5 with a 2.27 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 19 walks in 75.1 innings across 19 games (18 starts) between Single-A Fredericksburg, High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg in 2025, his second professional season. The No. 6 prospect in the organization according to Baseball America, Bennett posted a 0.87 ERA (2 ER/20.2 IP) with 20 strikeouts in six starts from June 15-July 13 for Wilmington before being promoted to Harrisburg on July 22.

Bennett is coming off an Arizona Fall League season in which he led the league in strikeouts (25) and finished second in innings pitched (20.0) in five games (four starts) for Scottsdale.

A native of Bixby, Oklahoma, Bennett was originally selected in the second round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Oklahoma. He’s pitched to a 2.67 ERA with 137 strikeouts and a .238 opponents’ batting average in 34 professional games since the start of the 2023 season.

Cornelio, 25, was Washington’s 2025 Minor League Pitcher of the Year after leading the system in ERA (3.28), opponents average (.205) and starts (26) and ranked second in strikeouts (135), WHIP (1.15) and innings (134.1). He went 6-7 with a 3.28 ERA, 135 strikeouts and 55 walks in 134.1 innings across 27 games (26 starts) between High-A Wilmington, Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester, setting career marks in nearly every category during his fourth professional season.

The Orioles must set their 40-man roster later today by protecting the Rule 5 eligible players they don’t want exposed in the draft.

Cross off another date on baseball’s fall and winter calendar. Up next is Friday night’s non-tender deadline.

The mailbag doesn’t need to be protected, though many outlets would love to claim it.

You ask, I try to answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved early 2009 original. That's when it debuted, upon further review. A four-star review. 

Also, my mailbag will never be exposed and your mailbag is left outside in the rain and cold.

Well before he even knew he would be a candidate for the Nationals’ managerial job, let alone get the job, Blake Butera tuned into Paul Toboni’s introductory press conference and found himself captivated by the franchise’s new president of baseball operations.

The 33-year-old with zero major league experience came to an immediate conclusion: “I can work alongside that guy.”

Turns out Toboni also had Butera in his sights, one of several names on a long list of managerial candidates he circled as ones to remember. And that feeling was only bolstered when he got a call out of the blue from Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, who employed Butera on his Team Italy coaching staff at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

“I have no idea what you’re doing with your search,” Piazza told Toboni, “but there’s this guy that you’ve got to interview.”

Six weeks later, these two previously unknown 30-somethings with an affinity for each other from afar, now sat behind the same dais at Nationals Park, a room packed with reporters, cameras, team executives and family members all watching as they officially began working together as the two people now in charge of this baseball club.

Former Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis is among the 12 new candidates for baseball’s Hall of Fame.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot also includes 15 holdovers. Results will be announced live on Jan. 20 on MLB Network.

Players must receive 75 percent of the votes for induction in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Markakis was a first-round pick in the 2003 draft who played nine seasons with the Orioles and won two Gold Gloves in right field. His last six seasons were spent with the Braves, where he won another Gold Glove and his first Silver Slugger in 2018 and made his only All-Star team.

The Georgia native finished his career with a .288/.357/.423 slash line and 514 doubles, 22 triples, 189 home runs and 1,046 RBIs in 2,154 games. He registered a 33.7 bWAR.

A .652 OPS isn’t the most impressive on the back of a baseball card. 

In 2025, major leaguers averaged a .719 OPS, aided by a slugging percentage over .400. Power numbers go a long way in putting runs on the board, but are only half of the equation for the most commonly used metric in hitting evaluation.

A .341 on-base percentage, on the other hand, is on par with some of the best in the game. 

In 2025, just 53 qualified players reached that mark. High-quality hitters like Brent Rooker, Manny Machado and Cody Bellinger fell short. 

That’s all to say that when you’re evaluating Enrique Bradfield Jr.’s Arizona Fall League, or just his game in general, you can’t just look at his .652 OPS. Instead, look towards where Bradfield excels: a .341 OBP paired with 17 stolen bases in just 20 games, plus a .974 fielding percentage with 37 putouts.

It's been 18 days since news first broke the Nationals were hiring Blake Butera as manager. And at long last, today we will finally get to hear from him about his vision for the job and the path that brought him here.

Butera will be formally introduced during a 1:30 p.m. press conference at Nationals Park – you can watch it live on MASN – with president of baseball operations Paul Toboni also scheduled to speak about the first major decision of his tenure here.

Why did it take 2 1/2 weeks from hiring to press conference? Because Oct. 30 was a big day in the Butera household for reasons that had nothing to do with baseball. On the same day he signed his contract with the Nats, Butera’s wife, Caroline Margolis, gave birth to the couple’s first child: Blair Margaux Butera.

With Butera’s immediate priorities focused on family in Raleigh, N.C., the Nationals decided to wait to hold the press conference until this week. Not that he hasn’t already been busy working out of the home office. Butera has hired three members of his coaching staff so far: bench coach Michael Johns, pitching coach Simon Mathews and catching coordinator Bobby Wilson (whose addition has not officially been announced yet but has been reported).

There should be plenty of opportunities for reporters to ask Butera (and Toboni) questions today. Here are some of the most interesting ones …

If the Orioles hold onto their offseason plan as if it’s covered in stickum, they’re going to emphasis starting pitching, late-inning relief and an impact bat while constructing their roster for Opening Day.

I don’t believe there’s an actual order to it. The calls and meetings are taking place and any deal that can be completed, whether in free agency or a trade, will rank ahead of the others. Mike Elias isn’t putting any of these needs on a back burner.

The hiring of a general manager sits there.

I’ve got more questions swirling in my brain, and among them is which of these additions is most important to the club’s future success? That’s different than which comes first.

I’m not too chicken to egg you on.

A new week brings the next set of meetings in baseball, with owners gathering in New York on Tuesday.

Don’t expect David Rubenstein to swing any deals.

The Orioles’ last trade brought them reliever Andrew Kittredge from the Cubs on Nov. 4 for cash considerations. What’s next?

I’ve already published a batch of questions, including how the Orioles are going to jam five starters in the rotation, who bats first, who’s in center field, whether Tyler O’Neill can extend his Opening Day home run streak, whether there are innings limits for some starters, what’s next for Albert Suárez, which starters could move to the bullpen, whether Trevor Rogers can maintain his level of excellence, which starter will lead the club in innings, and what’s next for Heston Kjerstad.

Here are two more.

Two more coaches are confirmed for manager Craig Albernaz’s staff.

The Orioles have hired Miguel Cairo as major league infield coach and Joe Singley as major league field coordinator and catching coach, according to sources.

Cairo, 51, most recently was Nationals' bench coach beginning in November 2023 and interim manager on July 7, 2025 after Dave Martinez’s firing. He played 17 seasons in the majors with nine teams, finishing in 2012 with the Reds.

Cairo has experience at every position except center field and catcher.

The Nationals interviewed Cairo for the managing job but chose Rays senior director of player development Blake Butera.

The Orioles made another depth move yesterday, signing reliever Richard Guasch to a minor league contract. He’s expected to receive an invitation to spring training.

Guasch, 27, posted a 2.74 ERA and 1.000 WHIP with 57 strikeouts in 46 innings this year in 28 appearances with Double-A Erie. He also pitched in 13 games with an independent team in Mexico and allowed three earned runs with 25 strikeouts in 14 innings.

The Cuban right-hander has pitched in the Athletics, Nationals and Tigers system beginning in 2018, compiling a 4.02 ERA in 145 games and averaging 5.1 walks, 11.5 strikeouts and 0.6 home runs per nine innings. He’s never risen above Double-A.

The Nationals acquired Guasch, catcher Drew Millas and pitcher Seth Shuman from the Athletics on July 30, 2021 in exchange for catcher Yan Gomes, infielder/outfielder Josh Harrison and cash considerations. The Tigers purchased his contract earlier this year from the Mexican Baseball League.

Guasch’s fastball has touched 99 mph.

While the 2025 season ended long ago for most members of the Nationals organization, eight prospects did continue to take the field throughout October and into the first two weeks of November, participating in the Arizona Fall League.

The AFL is held annually, with prospects from all 30 clubs coming together to face each other over a six-week season and see how everyone performs against their counterparts. It’s often a stepping stone for players on the cusp of the majors, though you’ll also find a number of prospects who are still a few years away.

This fall’s crop of Nats prospects included a recent first-round pick in Seaver King, an even more recent second-round pick in Ethan Petry and an organizational top-10 prospect in Jake Bennett. They were joined on the Scottsdale Scorpions by outfielder Sam Peterson, right-handers Austin Amaral and Sean Paul Linan, plus lefties Pablo Aldonis and Jared Simpson.

King was the most notable and most successful of the group. The 2024 first-round pick from Wake Forest was a force at the plate, batting .359 with a .468 on-base percentage, .563 slugging percentage, eight extra-base hits, 24 RBIs, six stolen bases and a solid 11-to-15 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 18 games played. The versatile defender played exclusively at shortstop and committed only one error while totaling 101 innings in the field.

Petry was the only 2025 draftee to play in the AFL, the second-rounder from South Carolina showing off a good eye (13 walks in 75 plate appearances) but not showing off his noted power swing (one double, one homer). Playing primarily right field, he finished with a .228/.400/.298 slash line, holding his own considering he had only 24 games of professional experience at low Single-A Fredericksburg prior to this.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• Agreed to terms on a 2026 minor league contract with RHP Richard Guasch.

In an offseason loaded with major questions, the Nationals have already answered two of the biggest ones: Who will lead baseball operations, and who will manage the big league club?

Among the high-ranking questions still to be answered: How much money will they spend compared to previous years?

That’s the kind of question that comes up every year, and it’s never really answered publicly in words by anyone. The answer only comes through actions, once you see what the team’s payroll is come Opening Day and once you learn what kinds of other investments have been made to strengthen the organization.

But it’s especially notable this winter because it’s widely believed Paul Toboni would not have taken the job as the team’s new president of baseball operations without some kind of understanding from ownership how much he would be allowed to spend.

Here’s what managing principal owner Mark Lerner said when asked that question Oct. 1 during Toboni’s introductory press conference:

Judging from the opinions of outsiders in the industry, the Orioles will be the biggest spenders this winter, aim for one big strike and make a series of lesser moves, or spread out their money more evenly.

That should just about cover it.

Scouts, agents and others in the business agree on the shopping list and how, of course, the Orioles are buyers. An impact starting pitcher at near the top of the rotation should be the priority. The bullpen isn’t near complete, and not just because it’s missing a closer. The lineup needs a big bat. Leadership was lacking in 2025.

Otherwise, the perceptions about how the Orioles will operate are scattered and based too much on the past – whether previous payroll constraints or how a last-place finish in 2025 will motivate.

The qualifying offer won’t necessarily deter the Orioles from pursuing a free agent. And according to president of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias, the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in December 2026 isn’t influencing how he conducts business.