Questions about Cedric Mullins' 2021 season usually begin with, "Did you ever imagine that ..." That he'd become the first player in Orioles history with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season. That he'd make the All-Star team and start. That he'd be a unanimous winner of the Most Valuable Oriole award. Mark me down for no, no and no, and I say this in the comfort that I'm not alone. Finishing in the top 10 in Most Valuable Player voting in the American League is another...

The Orioles are protecting six players again in the Rule 5 draft that's scheduled for next month in Orlando, Fla., placing pitchers DL Hall, Kyle Bradish, Kevin Smith, Félix Bautista and Logan Gillaspie, and infielder Terrin Vavra on the 40-man roster at tonight's deadline. The day began with 32 openings, heavy subtractions made since the last game. The most recent transaction impacting the roster before today was the claiming of pitcher Bryan Baker off waivers from the Blue Jays on Nov....

The Nationals chose to protect two prospects from being selected in next month's scheduled Rule 5 draft, adding both outfielder Donovan Casey and left-hander Evan Lee to their 40-man roster in advance of today's league-wide deadline. Casey and Lee were among the likeliest of the more than three dozen minor leaguers eligible for this year's Rule 5 draft to be protected by the Nationals, who did have room to add one more player to their 40-man roster but opted to leave that spot open for...

The Washington Nationals selected the contracts of outfielder Donovan Casey and left-handed pitcher Evan Lee on Friday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Casey, 25, was Washington's Minor League Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 after showing versatility and strong defensive ability following the trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers that brought him to the organization. He is listed by Baseball America as the "Best Athlete" in...

One of baseball's key offseason deadlines arrives later today when all clubs must add eligible players to their 40-man rosters or leave them unprotected in next month's Rule 5 draft. It's not a day that garners a ton of headlines, but it's an important day nonetheless because it offers some clues about an organization's feelings about some of its prospects, which ones it believes have a future and which ones less so. And in the Nationals' case, there are several decisions to make before...

Bryce Harper won the second National League Most Valuable Player award of his career tonight, beating out Juan Soto for the honor in a battle of former Nationals teammates turned division rivals. Harper received 17 first-place votes and 348 total points in balloting conducted before the start of the postseason by 30 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (two from each NL city). Soto received six first-place votes and 274 total points to finish second. Padres shortstop...

As the second year of play since the restructuring of the minor leagues is set to begin in 2022, there will be a first coming for the players. The big league teams will be responsible for housing the minor league players and covering utilities. Major League Baseball issued a press release on Thursday announcing these plans. One big headache and expense is now off the plates of the minor leaguers. Coupled with the modest salary increases that began in 2021, the players are making some financial...

My mailbag hasn't reached a level that tempts me to empty it, your questions scattered all over the floor, but I don't mind a light sifting this morning. Extremely light. Like, Engelb Vielma light. Here are four questions that I'm tackling, being careful to not lead with my helmet: Julio Iglesias is a free agent after winding up with the Red Sox after the Orioles traded him to the Angels. Does Mike Elias bring him back? You meant José and won't lose points or my respect. The Orioles need...

The Mesa Solar Sox will represent the East Division in Saturday's Arizona Fall League championship game. The team that includes Orioles minor leaguers on its roster. Rings can be won in November, even for an organization that's rebuilding. They do receive rings, right? Anyway, the AFL season began with eight Orioles representatives on Mesa's roster, including catcher Ramon Rodriguez, who was listed as being on the taxi squad. There have been three subtractions, though outfielder Yusniel Diaz...

Wednesday night, we saw a former Nationals star come up short in a bid to win another major end-of-season award. Tonight, we could see either a different former Nationals star or a current one win the biggest award of all. The National League MVP will be announced around 6:25 p.m., and the names of the two frontrunners are as familiar as they get around here: Bryce Harper and Juan Soto. (Fernando Tatis Jr. also was named a finalist, but the Padres shortstop is widely expected to finish third...