Nats need to find more success with late first-round picks

Nats need to find more success with late first-round picks
The Nationals built a contender - and ultimately, a World Series champion - on the strength of an impressive run of first-round draft picks who developed into superstars. Ryan Zimmerman. Stephen Strasburg. Anthony Rendon. Bryce Harper and Drew Storen (aside from the champion part). All were top-10 selections during the Nats' first seven drafts. All had a hand in the franchise's ascension. The first three had a major hand in the franchise's title run. But if they want to continue this run of...
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A look at the O's top draft pick with MLBPipeline.com's Jonathan Mayo

A look at the O's top draft pick with MLBPipeline.com's Jonathan Mayo
There could always be a surprise and the Orioles are not going to tip their hand, but for now all signs continue to point to the club taking Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman with the first pick in the First-Year Player Draft on June 3. Good luck finding a mock draft that doesn't have the Orioles making the switch-hitting junior the No. 1 selection. He's having a sensational season. MLBPipeline.com analyst Jonathan Mayo was a guest recently on "O's Xtra" on MASN and said that he feels...
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Elias on draft: "A rare opportunity to get an impact player"

Elias on draft: "A rare opportunity to get an impact player"
We are now less than three weeks from June 3, the first day of the First-Year Player Draft. That is going to be a huge day and night for the Orioles, who will make the first pick in the first round for just the second time in club history. The draft began in 1965. In 1989, the Orioles made LSU right-handed pitcher Ben McDonald the top pick in the first round. The Orioles have never had the No. 2 pick and selected No. 3 just once and took Manny Machado there in 2010. Almost every mock draft...
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Orioles select Arkansas right-hander in round three (with updates)

Orioles select Arkansas right-hander in round three (with updates)
In the third round of the First-Year Player Draft today, the Orioles selected University of Arkansas right-handed pitcher Blaine Knight. He was the No. 87 overall selection. Knight is rated the No. 36 prospect by Baseball America, No. 48 by MLBPipeline.com, No. 55 by ESPN and No. 58 by FanGraphs. This season he went 11-0 with an 2.74 ERA over 16 starts with one shutout. In 95 1/3 innings he allowed 79 hits, including 16 homers, with 22 walks, 88 strikeouts and a .224 batting average against....
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Schoop finishes 12th in AL MVP voting

Schoop finishes 12th in AL MVP voting
Second baseman Jonathan Schoop, already chosen in September as Most Valuable Oriole, capped off his career season by placing 12th in voting for the American League's Most Valuable Player award. The announcement came tonight on MLB Network. Schoop appeared on seven ballots distributed to members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He received two votes for sixth place, two for eighth and three for 10th to give him 19 total points.. Astros second baseman Jose Altuve finished ahead...
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Orioles will not sign their fourth-round draft pick

Orioles will not sign their fourth-round draft pick
Today is the final day to sign selections from the 2017 First-Year Player Draft. The deadline is 5 p.m. Eastern time. But the Orioles are not going to sign their lone remaining unsigned top 10 pick, right-hander Jack Conlon from Clements (Texas) High School in Sugarland, Texas. He was taken in the fourth round with the 128th overall selection. Had the Orioles signed Conlon, they would have reached agreements with their all of their first 16 selections over the first 15 rounds. So far, they have...
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Nats expect to finalize deal with top pick Romero today

Nats expect to finalize deal with top pick Romero today
The Nationals and left-hander Seth Romero are expected to finalize a deal before today's 5 p.m. EDT deadline, ensuring the organization's first-round draft pick can begin his professional career in short order. Romero, the 25th overall selection of last month's draft, has - like many first-round picks - delayed signing until deadline day, but he's expected to come to terms on time, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. Terms of Romero's expected deal aren't known, but the...
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When it comes to draft pick signings, O's have moved fast

When it comes to draft pick signings, O's have moved fast
When the Orioles announced two more draft pick signings on Thursday afternoon, that brought their total to 29 signed picks out of the 41 they selected in the recent First-Year Player Draft. That is an impressive total to have wrapped up this soon. This will definitely benefit the individual players. By signing fast, they can get their pro careers started sooner and begin learning the pro game and impressing their new organization faster. Signing quickly is almost always good for the player. So...
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Rendon out of lineup but works out on field; 25 draft picks sign

Rendon out of lineup but works out on field; 25 draft picks sign
MIAMI - Anthony Rendon is out of the Nationals lineup tonight, his neck still sore after an awkward diving play that forced him out of Monday night's series opener at Marlins Park. Rendon suffered a neck "stinger," according to manager Dusty Baker. It's not a typical baseball injury, and because the Nationals third baseman has never experienced it before, there seems to be less certainty about how much time he'll need to recover than more standard ailments. "I asked him if he ever played...
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O's Gary Rajsich on the draft and top pick DL Hall

O's Gary Rajsich on the draft and top pick DL Hall
When the First-Year Player Draft began on Monday night, Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich did not expect the first round to end with high school left-handed pitcher DL Hall being selected by the Orioles. He expected Hall to be gone by the time the Orioles selected at No. 21. But Hall wasn't gone and the Orioles gladly pulled the trigger on a pitcher that they clearly had very highly ranked and were delighted to get. Rajsich explained how it all went down. "We targeted pitching and...
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Today's draftees include Baker's son, Cousins' cousin (Nats lose 13-2)

Today's draftees include Baker's son, Cousins' cousin (Nats lose 13-2)
On the final day of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft, the Nationals took a couple of kids with awfully recognizable last names. The Nationals drafted both Darren Baker (Dusty's son) and Jake Cousins (Kirk's cousin) amid their flurry of third-day picks that spanned 30 rounds. Darren Baker, 18, is an infielder who hit .396 with a .476 on-base percentage at Jesuit High School in suburban Sacramento, Calif. He has already committed to play for the University of California and is expected to...
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Nats continue to go for pitchers in First-Year Player Draft

Nats continue to go for pitchers in First-Year Player Draft
The Nationals made pitchers their pick in nine of their first 10 selections in the first two days of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft. Assistant general manager & vice president, scouting operations Kris Kline said that was by design. "We wanted to fortify our system with pitching," Kline said. "That was the goal going in." Kline said this draft had a good mix of pitchers with "a lot of velocity and guys with secondary stuff." The Nationals selected six right-handers and three...
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Nationals "comfortable" Romero's maturity won't be an issue

Nationals "comfortable" Romero's maturity won't be an issue
In making Seth Romero their first-round draft pick this year, the Nationals know they're getting one of the most talented amateur left-handers out there, with an arm they believe is big league-ready right now. They also know they're getting perhaps the first-rounder with the biggest question mark attached to his name. In the end, general manager Mike Rizzo, vice president of scouting operations Kris Kline and the rest of the Nationals front office believe the immense talent Romero brings to...
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Nats take chance with first-round pick of expelled lefty Romero

Nats take chance with first-round pick of expelled lefty Romero
The Nationals have been willing to take risks with first-round draft picks in the past. They've never taken a risk quite like this, though. With their first pick in this year's First-Year Player Draft, the 25th overall selection, the Nationals selected University of Houston left-hander Seth Romero, a big left-hander with a big arm who could reach the big leagues quickly but has a major red flag attached to his name: He was kicked off his college team after twice being suspended for various...
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Luke Erickson: Who's going to Auburn and West Palm Beach?

Luke Erickson: Who's going to Auburn and West Palm Beach?
Tonight is Day 3 of the First-Year Player Draft and what this means to me is discovering which of the players drafted by the Nationals will be on the rosters of the short-season Single-A Auburn Doubledays and the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Nationals. That's it. I am well aware that this makes me an anomaly among some prospect followers, but consider this: I don't follow college baseball, which to me is like baseball the way 10-pin bowling is like candlepin bowling, nor do I care about the...
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Baker on Nationals' challenges and son Darren's draft future

Baker on Nationals' challenges and son Darren's draft future
Because of last night's late game and tonight's Washington Nationals Dream Foundation Gala, the Nationals weren't required to report to the home clubhouse until 10 a.m. for this afternoon's 12:05 p.m. game against the Rangers. But by 9:30 a.m., a steady stream of Nationals were saddling up to their lockers, readying for the middle game of the three-game interleague series. Talk about your businesslike approach. It's June 10 and the Nationals have a 10 1/2-game lead over the Braves in the...
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Scouting makeup in the draft (Chris Davis on Homers for Hearts)

Scouting makeup in the draft (Chris Davis on Homers for Hearts)
Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft, consisting of 40 rounds, will be held over three days beginning on Monday, June 12. The first two rounds of the draft, through competitive balance round B (where the Orioles have a pick) will be held beginning Monday at 7 p.m. Eastern time. Rounds three through 10 will be held starting at 1 p.m. on June 13. On June 14, the draft resumes at noon with rounds 11 through 40. The Orioles select 21st overall in round one. It is their highest selection...
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The Mancini decision: Has he graduated from the minors?

The Mancini decision: Has he graduated from the minors?
Among many questions the Orioles have to answer once spring training starts is just where first baseman Trey Mancini will be on opening day. Is he going to make the roster or head back to the minors again to start 2017? Until the Orioles re-signed Mark Trumbo, both vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter expressed plenty of confidence in Mancini, and it looked like he could be the everyday designated hitter this season. But Trumbo's return likely changes that equation. So would...
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Wieters, Worley, draft order and minor matters

Wieters, Worley, draft order and minor matters
As another potential suitor for Matt Wieters is eliminated from consideration, speculation mounts that the Orioles could arrange an unexpected reunion with the free agent catcher. The Braves always have been viewed as the likely landing spot for Wieters, the former Georgia Tech star who owns a home in the Atlanta area, but they veered in a different direction yesterday and signed Kurt Suzuki. The market isn't completely dry, but the instructions call for the user to add water. The Angels could...
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With Dunning deal done, Nats have signed top 19 draft picks

With Dunning deal done, Nats have signed top 19 draft picks
The Nationals announced the signing of pitcher Dane Dunning, the second of their two first-round picks, the final significant member of this year's draft class that had yet to come to terms. Dunning received a $2 million signing bonus, according to a club source, which is just below slot value for the 29th selection in this year's draft. A 6-foot-4 right-hander from the University of Florida, Dunning held off signing until now in part because he was still pitching for the Gators in the...
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