Our offseason player review series continues today with Will Harris, who had an erratic debut season with the Nationals. PLAYER REVIEW: WILL HARRIS Age on opening day 2021: 36 How acquired: Signed as free agent, January 2020 MLB service time: 7 years, 102 days 2020 salary: $8 million (prorated $2,962,963) Contract status: Signed for $8 million in 2021 and 2022 2020 stats: 0-1, 3.06 ERA, 20 G, 1 SV, 17 2/3 IP, 21 H, 9 R, 6 ER, 3 HR, 9 BB, 21 SO, 0 HBP, 1.698 WHIP, 152 ERA+, 4.55 FIP, 0.1 fWAR,...

Should the Orioles look to establish one pitcher as their closer in the 2021 season? Baltimore had five pitchers record saves in the shortened 60-game season in 2020. The short answer for me is definitely not. No reason to try and find one established closer right now. In fact, on a rebuilding team, why not give several players a chance to save games next year? Find out which players seem to handle the ninth-inning pressure well and which do not. Closing games is hard and there are pitchers...

Our offseason player review series continues today with Sean Doolittle, who was ineffective and injured much of this season and now faces an uncertain future. PLAYER REVIEW: SEAN DOOLITTLE Age on opening day 2021: 34 How acquired: Traded with Ryan Madson from Athletics for Blake Treinen, Jesús Luzardo and Sheldon Neuse, July 2017 MLB service time: 8 years, 122 days 2020 salary: $6.5 million (prorated $2,407,407) Contract status: Free agent 2020 stats: 0-2, 5.87 ERA, 11 G, 0 SV, 7 2/3 IP, 9...

New Nationals pitching coach Jim Hickey brings to the table a ton of experience, from the minor leagues to the majors. The last two seasons, he worked in the Dodgers organization as a special assistant for player development, working with their top prospects. Earlier, Hickey had worked 11 seasons as pitching coach with the Rays, where he spent a significant amount of time alongside Nats manager Davey Martinez. In 2018, he was the pitching coach for the Cubs. So being a pitching coach for a big...

If absence does make the heart grow fonder, can something similar work when it comes to baseball attendance? I've heard from a few fans lately that basically said they can't wait to attend another Orioles game when they are allowed back into Camden Yards and it's safe to do so. They missed going to games. I can tell you that applies to some of the media as well. Speaking only for myself, I greatly missed the daily in-person interaction with O's players and staff. And seeing some media...

Among the important differences between the alternate camp site in Bowie and the fall instructional camp in Sarasota, Fla., is the ability of the Orioles to free their rehabbing players from home confinement. Injured Orioles couldn't report to Prince George's Stadium unless they were included in the 60-man pool, which had been reserved for players who might earn a call-up to the majors or healthy prospects. Left-hander Josh Rogers was working out at a friend's indoor sports training facility...

In choosing to let go several members of a staff that helped him win a World Series, Davey Martinez suggested he preferred to bring in coaches with whom he already had well-established relationships. Sure enough, Martinez's first hire of the offseason is someone he already knows very well: Jim Hickey. The Nationals named Hickey their new pitching coach today, hiring the 58-year-old who spent seven seasons working on the same Rays staff with Martinez last decade. "I am very excited to add Jim...

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with Pitching Coach Jim Hickey on Monday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo and Manager Dave Martinez made the joint announcement. Hickey, 58, joins Washington as the pitching coach after spending the last two seasons (2019-20) as a special assistant for player development with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2021 season will be Hickey's 38th season in professional baseball and his 16th as a Major League pitching...

Our offseason player review series continues today with Daniel Hudson, who struggled to consistently close out games this season. PLAYER REVIEW: DANIEL HUDSON Age on opening day 2021: 34 How acquired: Traded from Blue Jays for Kyle Johnston, July 2019 MLB service time: 11 years, 106 days 2020 salary: $5,148,148 (prorated $2 million) Contract status: Signed for $6 million in 2021, free agent in 2022 2020 stats: 3-2, 6.10 ERA, 21 G, 10 SV, 20 2/3 IP, 15 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 6 HR, 11 BB, 28 SO, 3 HBP,...

They are both infielders the Orioles claimed off waivers. They've gotten a golden chance to show they can play at the big league level with the Orioles since the start of the 2019 season. But after the performance of both fell off in the second half of the shortened 2020 season, their futures are maybe more uncertain today than they were heading into last year. I am talking about 26-year-old Rio Ruiz and 28-year-old Hanser Alberto. Both have been regulars in the lineup for most of the last two...