Yep, surprising news indeed. Of the five players the O’s held contract options on for the 2025 season, most would have guessed one they surely would bring back at $4 million for next year is lefty reliever Danny Coulombe.  He’s been a reliable high-leverage reliever for two years for this team. A 2.12 ERA in 2024 and an ERA of 2.56 and WHIP of 0.95

Ildemaro Vargas and Joey Meneses arrived in Washington one day apart from each other, Vargas getting the call up from Triple-A Rochester on Aug. 1, 2022, to replace the traded Ehire Adrianza and Meneses called up the following afternoon to replace the traded Juan Soto. Neither was a household name upon donning a Nationals uniform for the first time

It’s another slow day for me. At least that’s what I’m told. Or “ordered” is more like it. (This would be funny if I didn’t survive the surgery but the story ran anyway. Now that’s a slow day.) Here are some topics and decisions hovering around the Orioles. You can do the heavy lifting today and tell me what’s going to happen. Apologies in advance

The Nationals made a flurry of transactions to clear up space on their 40-man roster this evening, parting ways with a couple of well-known veterans in the process. Joey Meneses and Ildemaro Vargas both cleared outright waivers and chose to become free agents rather than remain in the organization. The same was true of Triple-A right-hander Michael

The Orioles have picked up 2025 contract options on first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn, lefty reliever Cionel Pérez and righty reliever Seranthony Domínguez. But in a surprise move, they declined the $4 million 2025 contract option on lefty reliever Danny Coulombe. The club today also made the procedural move of reinstating pitchers Félix Bautis

An Orioles offense that ranked second in the American League and fourth in the majors in runs per game in 2024, has produced three Silver Slugger finalists in Anthony Santander, Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg. The Orioles are also up for the American League offensive team of the year. Their batters did slump in the second half and scored just

When I wrote this blog last week, it was a blog that, as I said then, where I was just thinking out loud about ways the Orioles could make small improvements in 2025 in how they do business. This is not about the makeup of the roster so much, about adding or subtracting players, but about how the Orioles employ the players they do have. That earlie

Halloween has come and gone. The leaves have changed colors and are beginning to fall to the ground. Daylight Saving Time is finished for the year, leaving us with the oh-so-depressing 5 p.m. sunset for the next few months. And the 2024 Major League Baseball season has ended. The Dodgers wrapped up the World Series five nights ago, which means the

The offseason gives media a chance to make early predictions on free-agent signings, trades and other activity while waiting for actual news. Don’t pay any attention to early World Series odds. No team has a set roster in November. Can we at least wait until spring training? OK, if you’re going to press me, the Orioles make the playoffs in 2025. Th

Jacob Young’s rookie season for the Nationals, while stellar in the field, was not ultimately deemed golden. Despite holding a statistical advantage over his fellow nominees, Young lost out to Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle, who earned his second straight Gold Glove Award tonight. Doyle beat out Young and the Brewers’ Blake Perkins in balloti