The Orioles' 40-man roster is holding at 32 players and must be set by Friday, before a Rule 5 draft at the Winter Meetings that remains in limbo, as well as Orlando, with the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias will complete the task of protecting players, which follows the many transactions that cleared room for them. There will be the obvious calls and probably at least one that seems possible but falls a little short of a...

The Nationals officially named De Jon Watson as their new director of player development this afternoon, promoting one of general manager Mike Rizzo's many lieutenants to the position that oversees the organization's minor league system. A veteran of 37 years in professional baseball, Watson had been a special assistant to the GM the last five seasons, during which time he was one of Rizzo's top scouts and talent evaluators. Watson now returns to a role he previously held elsewhere: He led...

The Washington Nationals named De Jon Watson their Director of Player Development on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Watson spent the last five seasons (2017-21) as a special assistant to Mike Rizzo. He returns to the player development role where he will oversee Washington's Minor League system. Watson brings extensive player development experience, having led the Los Angeles Dodgers player development system from...

The decision by the Orioles to make two hires for the position of hitting coach, splitting them between someone outside the organization and a young instructor in their minor league system, had been anticipated for weeks. As well as the arrangement, growing in popularity in the industry, to abandon the assistant role and go with co-hitting coaches. I wrote about it here. What I didn't know is exactly how it would work. How would Ryan Fuller, formerly the hitting coach at Double-A Bowie and the...

It's been a relatively slow start to the offseason for the Nationals, but that wasn't unexpected. Aside from a few changes to the coaching staff and player development department, we weren't really anticipating a lot of action in October and November. But the offseason is starting to progress, and of course there's the specter of the Dec. 1 expiration of the collective bargaining agreement looming in the not-too-distant future. Everyone in the sport is keenly aware of what may or may not...

Ryan Mountcastle is inching up the Rookie of the Year voting. Just in time to no longer qualify for the award next season. Mountcastle finished sixth in the American League, receiving two second-place votes and four third place. His 10 points left him one behind Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase. The Rays' Randy Arozarena was first with 124 points, followed by the Astros' Luis Garcia (63), the Rays' Wander Franco (30) and the Rangers' Adolis García (27). The Rays' Shane McClanahan was...

As I talked with and interviewed several hitters that were having big seasons on the Orioles farm during the 2021 season, it became clear that those players believed in the organization's hitting program. At times, we saw that program embrace the talent it drafted and acquired and turn their program into results. It was likely encouraging for Birdland to see this and yesterday it led to Double-A Bowie hitting coach Ryan Fuller getting promoted to the major league staff. Fuller joins Matt...

The Orioles made two hires this afternoon to fill out their coaching staff in 2022. Ryan Fuller has been promoted from Double-A and joins Matt Borgschulte, summoned from the Twins organization, to serve as co-hitting coaches. Fuller was the Baysox's hitting coach and full-season hitting coordinator. Borgschulte worked as hitting coach with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. The duo replaces Don Long, who was informed after the season that he wouldn't return. As reported earlier this month,...

The last time the Nationals found themselves in this position - 95-plus losses, a franchise rebuild - Mike Rizzo had just completed his first season as a major league general manager. His 2009 club was a mess, a 103-loss train wreck made up of parts left over from Jim Bowden's tumultuous tenure, with an in-season managerial change (Manny Acta to Jim Riggleman) but a No. 1 overall pick ready to be spent on a once-in-a-generation right-hander from San Diego. In discussing his decision to embark...

The results of the Baseball Writers' Association of America Rookie of the Year voting will be announced tonight beginning at 6 p.m. on MLB Network. The National League winner will go first. Ryan Mountcastle isn't among the three finalists in the American League, but we'll find out where he's slotted behind the group. Mountcastle can't do better than fourth after trailing Tampa Bay's Randy Arozarena and Wander Franco and Houston's Luis Garcia. Critics of Franco, formerly the No. 1...