Orioles pitchers and catchers would be stretching later this morning and undergoing the next round of workouts at the Ed Smith Stadium complex, perhaps joined by some position players who reported early and passed their physicals, except the lockout remains in place and threatens an on-time opening day. Representatives for Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association met again yesterday and the session lasted about 15 minutes, according to reports. Lead negotiators Dan Halem and Bruce...

The 13-year, $350 million offer the Nationals made to Juan Soto shortly before the lockout began was a reasonable move by the organization. And Soto's decision to turn down that gargantuan offer was just as reasonable a move. What does all that mean in the big picture? It means it's going to take a historic contract to keep Soto in D.C., and it's probably not going to happen until he has the opportunity to field offers from 29 other clubs as a free agent following the 2024 season. And a...

On the night of June 10, 2020, Major League Baseball was not yet playing regular-season games, but was set to host its First-Year Player Draft. The draft would be limited to five rounds. That night the Orioles selected University of Arkansas outfielder Heston Kjerstad with the No. 2 overall pick in the first round. That selection created some initial confusion, frustration and angst around Birdland. They did not select Vanderbilt's Austin Martin, as many fans had read they would in pre-draft...

The Orioles made their first transaction of 2022 that didn't involve the international market, with an industry source confirming that they've signed Shed Long Jr. to a minor league deal. The lockout prevents moves that impact the 40-man roster. The Mariners outrighted Long, 26, in October after he batted .198/.258/.360 with four doubles, a triple and four home runs in 34 games, and he elected free agency. Long underwent surgery in September 2020 to repair a stress fracture in his right...

The Nationals drafted Ryan Zimmerman on June 7, 2005, making the lanky third baseman from the University of Virginia the No. 4 pick in the country. The Nationals also signed Zimmerman on June 7, 2005, immediately agreeing with the 20-year-old on a $2.975 million signing bonus that would allow him to begin his professional career right away and ultimately allow him to reach the big leagues for good only three months later. "I didn't want to be one of those guys that sits out the whole...

On behalf of an entire generation of Nationals fans, I want to congratulate Ryan Zimmerman on his retirement and say thank you. If you're around my age, growing up a baseball fan in the Washington, D.C., area was complicated. I've spent all of my almost 30 years of living in and around our nation's capital. I went to grade school in Silver Spring,

When it comes to the improved farm system for the Orioles - one ranked No. 1 in organizational rankings by MLBPipeline.com and No. 4 via Baseball America - it can seem the club leaves no stone unturned. Whether it is data and analytics and the latest technology, the move to place five coaches with each affiliate, improved nutrition and even gains in areas like mental skills, the Orioles seem to be doing right by their young talent. They want to give them every chance to succeed. Seeing the...

Following Ryan Zimmerman's retirement announcement on Tuesday afternoon, the Washington Nationals released the following statements: Statement from Mark D. Lerner, Managing Principal Owner of the Washington Nationals: "On behalf of my family and the entire Washington Nationals organization, we would like to congratulate Ryan on a tremendous career and thank him for his contributions both on the field and in our community. Ryan will forever be Mr. National. From the walk-off home runs, to...

Troy Marrow didn't begin his life in the Baltimore area, but he feels like he's back home. Though the seeds were planted in New York, where he learned to cheer for the Yankees with his father, Glenn, a Brooklyn native, the roots run deep here. They keep latching onto him. The Orioles hired Marrow as fundamentals coach in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League, returning him to the area once again before the minor league season begins. The pull is always so strong. Marrow, 29, moved to...

Ryan Zimmerman could've kept playing. But after 17 years with the Nationals, countless franchise records, a World Series title and a fitting farewell on the final day of the 2021 season, there really was nothing left to prove. So the face of the Nationals since the franchise made him its first draft pick in 2005 made it official today: He's retiring after a remarkable career with one organization that has become increasingly exceptional in the modern sports world. "Although my baseball...