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David Huzzard: How Nats can add relievers by adding to payroll

July 14, 2017, 12:39pm

There are two ways to add players from outside the organization. That is by spending money or spending talent. Most trades are completed by spending talent, but there is a way to spend money and make a trade that might present the Nationals with the best option for improvement this deadline. The rumors have begun swirling, and according to one writer's source the Tigers have no interest in moving right-hander Justin Verlander and according to another writer's source they aren't shopping him...

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Zach Wilt: Why the Orioles shouldn't buy or sell at trade deadline

July 14, 2017, 5:33am

Orioles

The All-Star break is over and Orioles baseball resumes tonight with the start of the second half of the season. Our Birds are back in action at Camden Yards this evening against the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs for the first of a three-game series. It feels like it's been awhile since we watched a baseball game where the outcome was meaningful and significant. Not that I'm complaining about the All-Star Game no longer determining home-field advantage in the World Series. I...

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Zach Wilt: Opponents have adjusted to Dylan Bundy

July 07, 2017, 5:32am

Orioles

Zach Wilt: Opponents have adjusted to Dylan Bundy

Dylan Bundy was one of the Orioles' best stories over the first two months of the season. In April and May, the 24-year-old righty made 11 starts and the O's went 7-4 in those games. Bundy pitched 71 2/3 innings, limited opponents to a .240 batting average and recorded a 2.89 ERA over that span. He began the season with eight consecutive quality starts and ten in his first 11. Bundy immediately jumped out as the team's best starter in his first full season in the rotation. It seemed like...

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David Huzzard: What is the impact of the the Nats' bad bullpen?

July 07, 2017, 5:19am

Nationals

David Huzzard: What is the impact of the the Nats' bad bullpen?

I had a question earlier this week on the Nationals bullpen. It was a simple one: Exactly how many ninth-inning blown saves have they had and where does that compare to the league average? The Nationals have 14 total blown saves, but because a lot of old-timey baseball stats are dumb, that counts a blown lead by a reliever in any inning and not just the ninth. The answer for how many ninth-inning blown saves has to be found by looking at how many times the Nationals had a lead entering the...

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Dillon Atkinson: It's time to face reality

July 05, 2017, 10:47am

Orioles

Dillon Atkinson: It's time to face reality

If you've followed me on social media or on Orioles Uncensored for the past few years, you've probably been able to get the idea that at times, I rock the orange sunglasses and I drink the orange Kool-Aid. It's not all the time, but I sure have shown my sides of blind optimism about the Orioles. But today, I'm hopping off that train. At least for now, that is. The Orioles are currently 40-43, fourth place in the American League East, and are less than four weeks away from Major League...

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Luke Erickson: Why the Syracuse Chiefs struggle

July 04, 2017, 3:12pm

Nationals

Luke Erickson: Why the Syracuse Chiefs struggle

The Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs won 61 games in 2016, surpassed by everyone in the International League but Omaha (58). The 2017 edition of the Chiefs is on pace to win just 53 games. In nine seasons of affiliation with the Nationals, the fans in Syracuse, as I've been reminded me on more than one occasion, have seen just two winning seasons - 2012 and 2014. One thing that needs to be made clear is that while Triple-A is the highest classification of the minors, it's no longer where you'll find...

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Andrew Stetka: Schoop's All-Star nod is well-deserved

July 03, 2017, 5:16am

Orioles

Andrew Stetka: Schoop's All-Star nod is well-deserved

For the first time since 2011, the Orioles will have just one representative at the All-Star Game. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop can always refer to himself as an All-Star now, and rightfully so. While some may have wanted to see Trey Mancini or Welington Castillo get the nod as the O's representative, Schoop is the right man for the job. It's also hard not to feel great for Schoop. He's been stuck in a very deep pool of second basemen in the American League for the first few years of his...

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Marty Niland: It's far from panic time for Nats fans

July 02, 2017, 1:21pm

Nationals

Marty Niland: It's far from panic time for Nats fans

From the sense of panic among Nationals fans these days, you would think the team is in last place, rather than on a pace to win more than 90 games. Let's calm down and let general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dusty Baker do their jobs. It's far too early for predictions of collapse. After Trea Turner broke his wrist, joining previous leadoff man Adam Eaton on the disabled list, Nats fans on Twitter started posting messages of gloom and doom. Perhaps the best was, "Leading off the the Nats...

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David Huzzard: Nats should rekindle trade talks for McCutchen

June 30, 2017, 6:01am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Nats should rekindle trade talks for McCutchen

Baseball is considered a slow sport. All the discussions on how to get young people to pay attention to the game recently are centered around pace of play, but it sure does seem to move fast at times. A week ago leadoff hitter and shortstop was the least of the Nationals' concerns and this week it has moved to the top of the docket. With a 9 1/2-game lead in the division and every division rival looking like a seller this deadline, the Nationals place atop the division is as secure as it is...

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Zach Wilt: Back end of Orioles bullpen proved its importance on road trip

June 29, 2017, 7:50pm

Orioles

Just like that, the Orioles are back to .500. Last night in Toronto, the Birds took care of business and secured a series win to even their record at 39-39. After being shut out the night before, Ubaldo JimÃ©nez delivered his strongest start of 2017 with eight shutout innings of two-hit ball in the finale against the rival Blue Jays. It's amazing what good starting pitching can do for this club. The Orioles have struggled mightily away from Camden Yards in 2017, going 15-25, but just...

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Luke Erickson: A look at the Potomac Nationals at the half

June 27, 2017, 8:14pm

Nationals

While Bill Parcells is wildly overrated as a coach, his maxim of "You are what your record says you are," is spot-on, and applies to the Potomac Nationals this year. The P-Nats almost finished .500 in the first half, falling two games short at 33-37, and haven't been above the break-even mark since May 13. Simply put, they're not quite good enough to win consistently. This is not to say there haven't been bright spots. Victor Robles is the Nationals' No. 1 prospect in the organization and...

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Marty Niland: Cubs-Nats series is loaded with history

June 26, 2017, 5:22am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Cubs-Nats series is loaded with history

If a date with the World Series champions and a potential postseason preview won't give Nationals fans enough to talk about this week, the Nats' series with the Cubs will offer plenty of history. The two teams, as well as mangers Joe Maddon of the Cubs and Dusty Baker of the Nationals, have a more than bit of a past between and among them, and we only have to go back to last season to start. The Nationals were coming off a blistering 16-7 April and had won three of their first four in May...

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Andrew Stetka: If Orioles sell, who could actually be moved?

June 26, 2017, 5:07am

Orioles

With five weeks to go until baseball's non-waiver trade deadline, teams are starting to assess whether or not they will be buyers or sellers at the end of July. It's a conversation every front office has this time of year, and it's no different for the Orioles. What is different this year than from recent seasons is the position the Birds find themselves in. Despite being below the .500 mark, the O's find themselves only a handful of games out of a playoff spot. Teams have made crazier runs...

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Zach Wilt: Even former O's starting pitchers are underperforming

June 23, 2017, 5:33am

Orioles

Zach Wilt: Even former O's starting pitchers are underperforming

Starting pitching has been the story of the 2017 season for the Orioles. It seems to be a topic every night in Charm City as the Birds have again fallen below .500 at 35-37 and their rotation has produced just two quality starts in their last 16 games. Collectively, the O's pitching staff has allowed five or more runs in 19 consecutive games and they have gone 6-13 over that span. Last week, I wrote about the Orioles' production in June 2016 when they went 19-9 and finished the month with a...

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David Huzzard: Nats should look at other trade possibilities

June 22, 2017, 6:24pm

Nationals

David Huzzard: Nats should look at other trade possibilities

The 2017 Nationals are a confusing team to follow. They are a combination of the best run-producing team in baseball, a huge division lead, a strong top of the rotation and one of the worst bullpens ever constructed. That last one gets most of the attention and it needs to be addressed, but it is not the Nationals' only weakness heading into the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. The bullpen is the obvious area of concern and it's where the Nationals focus will be, but it will also be where...

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Dillon Atkinson: Orioles offense being asked to perform a difficult task

June 21, 2017, 7:18am

Orioles

After dropping the series opener to the Indians on Monday night by the score of 12-0, the Orioles came back to even up the series at one game apiece by defeating the Tribe 6-5 Tuesday evening. Although they counted differently in the win-loss column, there's one thing that's common between not only those two scores, but the scores of the past 17 games. In each of the last 17 games, and 21 of the last 24, the Orioles have allowed their opponents to score five or more runs. The 17-game stretch...

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Luke Erickson: Looking at the Hagerstown Suns at the half

June 19, 2017, 5:53pm

Nationals

Luke Erickson: Looking at the Hagerstown Suns at the half

For most baseball fans, the All-Star Game is considered the halfway point of the season. In the minors, that's this week for two of the four full-season affiliates - the Hagerstown Suns (low Single-A) and the Potomac Nationals (high Single-A). This week, we'll take a look at how the Suns have done and who might be moving up, then next week we'll examine the P-Nats. While winning is not the goal of the minors - development is - it's still something to shoot for and root for. For most of the...

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Andrew Stetka: Hardy's absence will create a new look in O's infield

June 19, 2017, 5:30am

Orioles

Andrew Stetka: Hardy's absence will create a new look in O's infield

With J.J. Hardy set to become the latest member of the Orioles to make a trip to the disabled list, parts are going to continue to move for the Birds. It's just the latest in a string of injuries that has recently included first baseman Chris Davis, along with the likes of Zach Britton and Darren O'Day out of the bullpen. Nothing new for the Orioles, but it could certainly spell new looks in the near and distant future. We don't know exactly how long Hardy's injury will keep him off the...

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David Huzzard: What will a closer cost the Nationals?

June 15, 2017, 6:14pm

Nationals

Believe it or not, the Nationals don't have the worst bullpen in the majors. That isn't to forgive or forget just how bad the bullpen has been and how many leads they've blown, or that with even a league-average bullpen the Mets' recent hot streak wouldn't matter one bit. It is simply a fact. The Nats don't have the worst bullpen in the majors and it is going to cause them major issues when the trade deadline comes around. By ERA, the Twins have the worst bullpen in the majors at 5.39....

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Zach Wilt: Offense can still carry the Orioles

June 15, 2017, 8:05pm

Orioles

Yesterday afternoon, the Orioles wrapped another disappointing road trip and fell back under .500 with a 32-33 record. The Birds went 1-7 on their eight-game road trip in D.C., New York and Chicago, and they have now lost 16 of their last 18 games away from the friendly confines of Camden Yards. They are now 11-23 on the road this season and thankfully return home tonight to play their next seven contests in Baltimore, where they have gone 21-10 this season. Home sweet home. It's been a tough...