They've raised a pennant and a World Series flag, unveiled division title signs and a Ring of Honor. But here's something the Nationals have yet to do during their 16 seasons in town: Retire somebody's number. That day will come, though, and it may not be that far off, with a couple of obvious candidates at the tail end of their respective careers. To be clear, the Nationals do have one officially retired number: 42. Jackie Robinson's jersey, of course, is retired across all of Major League...

The news last week that the Nationals were adopting Rochester as their Triple-A affiliate - so much for the gag order intended to withhold announcements until a later date - immediately took me back to the day that the Red Wings severed ties with the Orioles. This was a huge deal. They had been affiliated since 1961 - a span of 42 years that represented the longest relationship between major league and Triple-A teams. So many future stars began to shine in Rochester. It was hard to imagine the...

Ryan McKenna grabbed his phone Friday evening after the Orioles announced which players were given spots on the 40-man roster to protect them in the Rule 5 draft. He had some calls to make. And some memories to share. McKenna enjoyed the same experience last year with his placement on the 40-man. Less of a certainty than outfielder/first baseman Ryan Mountcastle and pitchers Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer, but allowed to shed invite status in spring training. It would be the highlight for McKenna,...

It was a year when National Football League teams in Indianapolis and Dallas opened new stadiums. The movie "Fever Pitch" debuted at the box office. The Chicago White Sox won their first World Series since 1917. The Tampa Bay baseball team was still named the Devil Rays. The year was 2005, and that was the last time the Orioles did not make a pick in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft. In fact, in three of the last four drafts, the Orioles have taken more than one player. In 2016 they...

The Nationals are working the phones, speaking with big-time free agents and well-known players, in an attempt to upgrade their offense for a team that ended up in last place in the abbreviated 2020 campaign. In back-to-back tweets Friday, MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported the Nats are interested in trading for All-Star third baseman Kris Bryant and finding a way to sign touted free agent infielder DJ LeMahieu. The Nationals have pursued both players in the past, and could be looking to...

Two and a half years ago, the Nationals agreed to a two-year deal to have their Triple-A team play out of Fresno, Calif., after they lost their affiliation deal with Syracuse to the Mets. But now the Nationals have agreed to move to Rochester, N.Y., for what is reported to be a long-term affiliation. Kevin Reichard, founder and publisher of the Ballpark Digest, appearing on ESPN 95.7 FM Rochester on Friday, said Major League Baseball is looking for longer deals for each of its...

As the 6 p.m. deadline approached and passed yesterday without an announcement from the Orioles on setting their 40-man roster, it became apparent that something was in the works beyond just choosing which prospects to protect in the Rule 5 draft. The Orioles were going to also choose a player to be designated for assignment. With the many additions would come a subtraction. Call it a hunch. Renato Núñez went from non-tender candidate to a DFA, which shook up some fans on Twitter who...

The Orioles made a nice statement Friday about their improving farm system. A farm system that has risen to No. 8 in the game in the MLBPipeline.com organizational rankings. They protected six players from that farm from being taken in next month's Rule 5 draft. They added all six last night to their 40-man roster. They added pitchers Michael Baumann, Alexander Wells, Zac Lowther and Isaac Mattson, outfielder Yusniel Diaz and infielder Rylan Bannon. Some in the game speculate that after not...

The Orioles reached the maximum on their 40-man roster this afternoon with the additions of outfielder Yusniel Diaz, infielder Rylan Bannon, and pitchers Michael Baumann, Zac Lowther, Isaac Mattson and Alexander Wells. To create a spot, the Orioles have designated Renato Núñez for assignment. He led the club in home runs the past two seasons and is eligible for arbitration. The deadline to set the roster was 6 p.m. The six players are now protected from the Rule 5 draft, which is held on...

The Nationals added two prospects to their 40-man roster today, believing infielder Yasel Antuna and right-hander Joan Adon needed to be protected from being lost in next month's Rule 5 draft while taking a chance a few others won't be gobbled up by another club. Antuna and Adon each had his contract purchased, elevating each player to the organization's 40-man roster even though neither is on the cusp of making his major league debut. Club officials do believe both prospects have a future...