Mike Rizzo notoriously doesn't tip his hand when it comes to offseason targets, but if you're willing to take him at his word, it appears the Nationals general manager intends to go into the 2021 season with Yan Gomes catching more than 50 percent of his team's games and a still-to-be-acquired veteran backing him up. During Tuesday's Zoom session with reporters, his first since late September, Rizzo indicated the Nationals are prepared to have Gomes start a majority of games begin the...

Tyler Wells won't be able to truly demonstrate what he offers the Orioles as a pitcher until reporting to spring training and getting on a mound. Until he faces hitters in live batting practice sessions and in exhibition games. What he's done so far is prove that he's going to be one of the more thoughtful, open and articulate members of the organization. Wells was credited with a quality Zoom yesterday afternoon in his first media session after the Orioles chose him in Thursday's Rule 5...

Ryan Mountcastle was one of the club's better hitters during the shortened 2020 season. He arrived in the majors with an Aug. 21 call-up and sure did not disappoint with his play and production after that. Mountcastle has been moving onward and upward at a steady pace since the Orioles selected him in the First-Year Player Draft. 2015: O's select him No. 36 overall out of Hagerty (Fla.) High School.2016: He spends his entire first full year at Single-A Delmarva, batting .281/.319/.426.2017:...

The Nationals have a clear No. 1 priority this winter: Acquire a big bat to complement Trea Turner and Juan Soto in the heart of their lineup. And Mike Rizzo says ownership has assured him he'll have the resources to acquire that kind of big-ticket item. "It's no secret we're a pitching-oriented team," the Nats general manager said during a Zoom session with reporters today, his first since late September. "We've got three great strong starting pitchers coming back. We've got a bullpen...

Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg has recovered well from right hand surgery and is expected to be at full health when spring training begins, hopefully in mid-February 2021. Strasburg pitched in only two games in the abbreviated 2020 campaign, severely hampering a rotation that has been the strength of the Nats success for many seasons. "He was just re-examined on Dec. 4," general manager Mike Rizzo during today's Zoom video call with reporters. "He's coming along great. He should be...

Sometimes you get leftovers for breakfast, sometimes you get the crumbs at the bottom of the toaster. It's a good way to manage your carbs. The Brandon Hyde virtual Winter Meetings video conference call last Monday morning - or "Zoom" to save keystrokes - covered a wide range of topics. A few of them also interested the national media that joined in, including how the Orioles handled COVID-19 conditions and whether Hyde is confident in the implementation of a full spring training and season...

If Major League Baseball reverses course and puts an end to the three-batter-minimum rule it instituted for pitchers this season, Luis Avilan might prove to be a savvy addition for the Nationals in 2021. There's been no indication MLB intends to do that, however, so the challenge for Avilan to be a successful reliever for the Nats will be immense. The Nationals signed the 31-year-old left-hander to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training Monday night, a source familiar...

Here is more perspective on the advancement of third baseman/first baseman Drew Mendoza, who finally got his shot to participate in workouts and games in Fredericksburg, Va., in the summer. The No. 11 Nationals prospect joined other top 20 Nationals prospects, according to director of player development Mark Scialabba. "We got him to the alternate site start of September. Along with shortstop Jackson Cluff (No. 20) and catcher Israel Pineda (No. 14), we had the ability to get him there to get...

If we are to presume that two slots in the 2021 Orioles rotation are pretty much set and two others are somewhat set, that still leaves at least one spot open in the starting five for next season. The Orioles have some decisions to make before opening day next season, whenever that turns out to be. Do Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer return to the rotation where they ended last summer and join mainstays John Means and Alex Cobb? Where does this leave Jorge López? Can one or both of the Rule 5...

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has his scrubbed and sanitized hands full with his own club and a growing set of responsibilities. However, when another manager makes a decision in the World Series that backfires with such force that it shakes the entire industry, Hyde is bound to be asked about it. Especially on a Zoom conference call yesterday as part of the virtual Winter Meetings that don't have the usual four-day deadline. Rays skipper Kevin Cash took the ball from Blake Snell in Game 6, the...