Fall instructional league workouts are completed for 2020. Now these Nationals prospects head home or get ready to play winter ball. It was interesting to hear updates on how the first professional experience was for a pair of teenagers. Infielders Quade Tomlin and Sammy Infante got their first taste of pro ball for the last month at the Nats spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla. Quade Tomlin is only 18, but he is no stranger to the Nationals, and being around professional...

It was all a bit of mystery. They were playing baseball at Double-A Bowie this year but there were not any games that counted. No other Eastern League teams came to town. Bowie was an important place however, as it was the site of the Orioles' alternate camp this summer. No media or fans were allowed to watch and/or chronicle the happenings. But it was clear that some good instruction and work was going on out of the limelight and the major league spotlight. We saw Ryan Mountcastle come from...

Our offseason player review series continues today with Josh Harrison, who quickly made a positive impact after his early season acquisition. PLAYER REVIEW: JOSH HARRISON Age on opening day 2021: 33 How acquired: Signed as free agent, July 2020 MLB service time: 8 years, 168 days 2020 salary: $1 million (prorated $348,253) Contract status: Signed for $1 million in 2021, free agent in 2022 2020 stats: 33 G, 91 PA, 79 AB, 11 R, 22 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 1 SB, 2 CS, 6 BB, 12 SO, .278 AVG,...

The conclusion of the World Series, with the crowning of a 60-game COVID champion, opens the door for free agency and trades. The official offseason is underway. As always, please continue to breathe normally. Players enter free agency the day after the World Series. For the Orioles, it's a short line at the moment with only pitcher Wade LeBlanc and catcher Bryan Holaday, according to Baseball-Reference.com. A two-man stampede doesn't make much noise. LeBlanc will be removed from the 60-day...

Our offseason player review series continues today with Luis García, who unexpectedly became the Nationals' starting second baseman ahead of schedule. PLAYER REVIEW: LUIS GARCÍA Age on opening day 2021: 20 How acquired: Signed as international free agent, July 2016 MLB service time: 105 days 2020 salary: $563,500 (prorated $140,175) Contract status: Under team control, arbitration-eligible in 2024, free agent in 2027 2020 stats: 40 G, 139 PA, 134 AB, 18 R, 37 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 16 RBI,...

When fans look to grade how successful the 2020 season was when it comes to the Orioles rebuilding, what is the best way to do that? Is it just noting the won-loss record and looking for progress there? Or is it about looking more at individual players, especially those that came up from the farm and finding successes there? Since we don't have to choose just one standard, it was nice to have a little of both during this past season. But which one is more significant: an improved record or...

Our offseason player review series continues today with Andrew Stevenson, who spent most of the summer at the alternate camp site in Fredericksburg, then wowed the Nationals after his late-season promotion. PLAYER REVIEW: ANDREW STEVENSON Age on opening day 2021: 26 How acquired: Second-round pick, 2015 draft MLB service time: 1 year, 122 days 2020 salary: $563,500 (prorated $71,645) Contract status: Under team control, likely arbitration-eligible in 2022, free agent in 2026 2020 stats: 15 G,...

What a week for Stevie Wilkerson. Get discharged from physical therapy on Thursday, drive from Chicago to Sarasota on Friday - accompanied by his wife and dog - and sign a minor league deal with the Orioles on Saturday. The guy was due for some good fortune. He earned it after missing the 2020 season with a fractured finger on his left hand and later being released. The sides reached agreement over the weekend on a split contract. Wilkerson will report to spring training in February and try to...

The 2020 season for Orioles outfielder Austin Hays included a few firsts. He made the opening day roster for the first time. He hit his first inside-the-park home run and he went to the injured list because he was hit by a pitch for the first time. The last few seasons have seen Hays battle various ailments and injuries. A player that has said he didn't deal with injuries in high school and college has had a steady stream in pro ball. He spent time on the injured list at Double-A in 2018,...

I look forward to the day when the world gets closer to being normal again, however we define the term. When a baseball season lasts longer than a dental appointment and hearing "corona" makes you want to squeeze a lime wedge into a bottle of beer. I look forward to the day when I can conduct a MASN interview from the press box without looking like I just came out of surgery. When I can prepare for a group interview without checking my Zoom background or calculating my consecutive mornings...