Today is the first day for international free agent signings across Major League Baseball. The Nationals made big news by signing the No. 5 prospect in 16-year-old shortstop Armando Cruz for $3.9 million. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the usual July 2 signing date was delayed until Jan. 15. In all, the Nats announced 10 signings. The list includes five pitchers, three outfielders and two shortstops. Five of the prospects hail from the Dominican Republic, four are from Venezuela and one...

The Orioles today announced a signing class of 17 international amateurs, including the club's first two players signed for seven figures. Per industry sources, the club has contract agreements with catcher Samuel Basallo from the Dominican Republic for $1.3 million and with Venezuelan shortstop Maikol Hernández for $1.2 million. The Orioles announced that 11 more from this group are six-figure agreements. Of the 17 agreements, 13 are from the Dominican Republic and four are from...

The Baltimore Orioles today announced that they have opened the 2020-21 International Signing period with 17 contract agreements. Highlighting the Orioles 2020-21 International Signing class are the clubs first-ever seven figure international signings, catcher Samuel Basallo and shortstop Maikol Hernández. Additionally, 11 more of the group are six figure agreements. Of the 17 total agreements, 13 are from the Dominican Republic and four are from Venezuela. Basallo, born on August 13, 2004,...

The Nationals have been linked to top Dominican prospect Armando Cruz for nearly a year and a half now, and today they're finally expected to announce they've signed the elite young shortstop for a reported $4 million bonus. It's a whopping total for a kid who turns 17 on Saturday, and it's perhaps the latest and most convincing evidence just how far the Nats' Latin American scouting program has come over the last decade-plus. Those who haven't followed the organization since the early...

Is it safe to slip into spring training mode? Is it really going to happen, with Orioles pitchers and catchers reporting on Feb. 16 - one day after most or all of the beat crew arrives in Sarasota, Fla.? Multiple reports are feeding us optimism by the ladle. That's nice. But I'll repeat that teams were told back in October to prepare as though camps would open on time and the season would consist of 162 games. We only know that nothing has changed in that regard. No one has been instructed to...

The deadline has arrived for teams to sign their arbitration-eligible players for the 2021 season. The Orioles tendered contracts to outfielders Trey Mancini and Anthony Santander back on Dec. 2. However, the sides will exchange figures later this afternoon if they don't reach agreements by 1 p.m., and hearings will be scheduled for next month. Negotiations are allowed to continue beyond the salary exchange. However, the Orioles could be in file-and-trial mode again, which heightens the...

Now that he has helped the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs win a combined three World Series, Theo Epstein will try to help baseball improve its game. Maybe get more action in the game and work on rules that fans will embrace. Major League Baseball yesterday named Epstein a consultant regarding on-field matters. Under the supervision of the commissioner and the competition committee, Epstein will work with baseball analytics experts from the commissioner's office and the clubs to determine the...

The majority of arbitration cases are relatively simple. Players who have accrued between three and six years of big league service time and their clubs typically agree on a salary figure without ever needing to file for arbitration or have their cases heard before a panel. There are always a few complicated cases, though, usually involving big-name players whose salary requests go well beyond what the club has proposed. Now throw in the unprecedented nature of the 2020 season, and you've got...

OK, don't panic but I'm going to throw out a few more notes today on four-seam fastball spin rate. Basically just add a few pitchers to the Orioles I listed among the data presented in this entry yesterday. If you recall, the spin rate data yesterday was produced for every big league pitcher last year that threw 250 or more pitches. Not just four-seamers, but total pitches. Of which they had their data for those pitches - to include four-seam fastballs. Last night I lowered the standard to...

In search of a way to fill the void generated by an especially slow offseason, the "MASN All Access Podcast" had to get creative. Joined by Connor Newcomb of the "Locked On Orioles Podcast," Brendan Mortensen and I created the All-Camden Yards Draft with the simple goal of drafting three teams whose rosters are filled with the greatest Orioles players to have ever played at "the ballpark that forever changed baseball." And who better to judge the results than Orioles fans? These were the...