Joe Ross took the 2020 season off, opting out due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the Nationals right-hander believes he can use that time that rested his arm to his advantage as he ramps up for a return in 2021. "A little similarity to being injured," Ross said about being away from the game during a recent Zoom video call. "I'm sure the adrenaline first time back facing hitters is going to be through the roof. I think that might be the biggest thing as I start to throw off the mound more...

We hear from Orioles fans here every day, getting constant and steady feedback on the team and the moves it makes. Today is a bit different. Different in that I'm seeking your grades today on a scale of one to 10 on the O's rebuilding efforts. With a grade of one being terrible, not a good place at all. And 10 being great, everything is going in a wonderful direction. Put another way: 2 - Way below average4 - A bit below average6 - A bit above average8 - Well above average, very strong10 -...

Josh Harrison had dealt with the downside of free agency, twice. After waiting by his phone the entire winter of 2018-19, the veteran utility man finally got an offer from the Tigers after players had already reported to Lakeland, Fla., for spring training. Then, following an injury-plagued season in Detroit, he was left with little choice but to accept a minor league offer from the Phillies with an invitation to big league camp last winter. Given that frustrating backstory, Harrison departed...

With the trade of José Iglesias to the Los Angeles Angels this week, who will play shortstop for the 2021 Orioles is an unanswered question right now. But the future O's shortstop may currently be in the organization. Over his first two drafts, Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias has drafted five shortstops. In 2019, three of his top six picks were shortstops, and in 2020 two of his first four selections were. Elias has also acquired two shortstops the club likes...

As March turned to April, then May, then June and finally July, Joe Ross anxiously watched Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association negotiate a plan for the sport to play the 2020 season under unprecedented circumstances. Ross, like so many of his fellow players, acknowledged there were financial issues that needed to be sorted out before the season could commence. But he was more concerned with the lack of time and attention that seemed to be being spent on figuring out the...

The Nationals today announced their continued partnership with the Players Alliance and a stop coming up Saturday in Washington, D.C. The Players Alliance includes more than 100 black former and current professional baseball players who use their platforms to help baseball become a more inclusive environment for the next generation of players by building equitable systems to change the trajectory of diversity throughout the sport. The Pull Up Together campaign provides food, COVID-19 resources...

It is no secret that the Nationals have made a commitment to drafting and developing pitching. Cade Cavalli, their first-round pick in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft, is the most recent example of that strategy. The Nats have selected 34 pitchers in the first 10 rounds of the last five drafts, and if this year's draft was not shortened to just five rounds, that number would likely be higher. General manager Mike Rizzo built a championship team on starting pitching, and it is clear that he...

What do the Nationals need in order to become a contender again in 2021? At this point, surely you can rattle off the list of needs. A power bat to join Juan Soto and Trea Turner in the heart of the lineup. A No. 4 starter to replace Aníbal Sánchez. A catcher. A left-handed reliever. Those are the obvious needs, and they all need to come from outside the organization. But there's an equally important need that we tend not to talk about as much: The Nats need several players already on...

The phrase "No pain, no gain" is one that Orioles fans can relate to this week. They clearly didn't feel physical pain, but there was some distress over the trade of José Iglesias. As there was over trades of Jonathan Villar and Dylan Bundy last December and others during the 2020 season when bullpen vets like Mychal Givens, Miguel Castro and Richard Bleier were dealt. Orioles fans came to know and like these players. They became attached to them, which is normal for passionate fans. The...

The mailbag is getting full again, which sends me scurrying to find answers and a new sequel title. You know the drill. You ask, I respond, you ask again, I respond again and our relationship grows stronger. Curiosity killed the cat, but it keeps this blog alive through the dog days of winter. Any surprises at the non-tender deadline? Such a negative person. You could have referred to it as the "tender deadline." Anyway, catcher Pedro Severino went from vulnerable to recipient of a $1.825...