Last week, we opened our "What If?" series wondering what might have been had Jordan Zimmermann accepted the Nationals' long-term extension offer after the 2014 season, a decision that had long-lasting ramifications on the organization. This week, we look at a big decision the organization made the following summer that absolutely had immediate consequences for the club, and probably had long-lasting ones as well: The trade for Jonathan Papelbon. Prepare to cringe. As the 2015 trade deadline...

Is it too early to start plucking favorite storylines from the spring training tree? I'll reach for some of the low-hanging ideas that may come to fruition. (Let's pause here and fully appreciate that last sentence.) This is a topic worth revisiting in a month or two. Perhaps after the locks are removed from the free agent market. In the meantime, here are four: Who's in the rotation behind John Means and Jordan Lyles? This feels like a mailbag question. Tracking the competition is a yearly...

The Nationals roster has undergone massive changes in the last two years, but it may be more noticeable in the infield than anywhere else on the field. Consider this: On the night the Nats won their first World Series title, they started an infield of Ryan Zimmerman, Asdrúbal Cabrera, Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon, with Howie Kendrick serving as designated hitter, and Brian Dozier and Matt Adams coming off the bench. At this moment, only 25 1/2 months later, not one of those players is...

One of the most important tasks of the offseason is done. The Orioles set their major league coaching staff for 2022. Business that the lockout couldn't touch. Upon review, there isn't anything unexpected in the composition beyond a new title for Fredi González, who becomes the first bench coach under manager Brandon Hyde after serving as major league coach for two seasons. There won't be a dramatic shift in his duties. He pretty much handled the responsibilities in the past. Major league...

Tommy Wilson's interest in the Triple-A Rule 5 draft hovered at such a low level that it kept him away from the online broadcast and couldn't interrupt his daily workouts at Cal State-Fullerton. He grabbed his phone and checked social media on a couple of occasions, wondering whether he'd leave the Mets organization. Much closer to curiosity than obsessing. "I didn't know if I was protected or not, so I was kind of waiting to see or waiting to hear," he said. "Then I found out on...

The Orioles have completed their 2022 staff under manager Brandon Hyde, going with co-hitting coaches and changing titles for Fredi González and José Hernández. Some of the moves were previously reported, including the promotion of Double-A Bowie hitting coach Ryan Fuller, who also served as the full-season hitting coordinator, and hiring of Matt Borgschulte from the Triple-A St. Paul Saints in the Twins organization. They replace hitting coach Don Long, who wasn't retained after...

The Orioles today announced their 2022 Major League Coaching and Clubhouse Staff. The club has named Matt Borgschulte and Ryan Fuller Co-Hitting Coaches. Fredi González shifts from Major League Coach to Bench Coach and José Hernández shifts from Assistant Hitting Coach to Major League Coach. All other coaches remain in their same positions: Tim Cossins as Major League Field Coordinator/Catching Instructor, Darren Holmes as Assistant Pitching Coach, Chris Holt as Pitching Coach/Director...

We spend the majority of our time here talking about major leaguers, but with the lockout now preventing teams from making any transactions involving players on 40-man rosters, let's take an opportunity to delve deeper into some of the Nationals' top minor leaguers. We continue this weekly series with the organization's No. 2 prospect ... SS BRADY HOUSE Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 215 lbs. Age on opening day 2022: 18 How acquired: First-round pick, 2021 draft, Winder-Barrow (Ga.) High...

The Orioles can be predictable in many aspects of the operation, especially after years of covering the team, but they also possess the skills to go left when I'm shaded toward the right. Stay bent at the knees and be prepared to pivot. I've been burned in offseason coverage a few times. Here are a half-dozen 2021 examples off the top of my head: Pitcher Chris Ellis outrighted Pretty much every early bullpen projection for 2022 had Ellis in a bulk relief role if he wasn't starting. Which, of...

While the rest of the baseball world pretty much locked itself indoors and watched football all weekend, the Nationals made two somewhat surprising moves, signing veteran infielders Dee Strange-Gordon and Maikel Franco to minor league contracts with invitations to spring training. And as the sun comes up to begin this new work week, it's probably safe to admit we're seeing a pattern developing from the office on South Capitol Street. At a time when clubs are prohibited from signing players...