We continue today a periodic look at the state of the Nationals roster at the point spring training was suspended and project how things may look whenever baseball is played again. Up next is the starting rotation ... The Nationals have one of the best rotations in baseball. That much we've known all along. But is it possible this group might prove even more valuable if given an opportunity to pitch in 2020? There's reason to believe so, if Major League Baseball's current proposal for...

As he awaits the start of a season that could see him make his major league debut, Orioles prospect Ryan Mountcastle has been working out with other pro players in Florida. Like all of us, he's waiting to hear official word about the 2020 season. In a recent video interview with the 23-year-old Mountcastle, we discussed a variety of topics. Everything from fitting in within the O's clubhouse as a young player to his defense to playing at all levels on the O's farm. The 2019 season was a...

If baseball resumes in 2020, it will almost certainly do so with restricted access to the clubhouse, only essential personnel allowed through those sacred doors. That'll be a big change from the way it's been for a long time. And it'll ruin the possibility of any ridiculous stories like this one from happening again ... Players often invite guests into the clubhouse before or after games. Their children or another relative. A close friend. Maybe even a furry friend. It doesn't happen all...

According to an article in The Athletic, Major League Baseball has presented the players with a 67-page document detailing health protocals for the 2020 season. A season they hope can begin sometime in early July. One that will apparently consist of only 82 games and begin, at least at the outset, without fans in the stands. This includes plans for players to practice social distancing when not on the field, to avoid high fives and shaking hands after wins, no pregame exchange of lineup cards...

The Orioles did an admirable job last season of preventing the losses from breaking their collective spirit. There were some chips and cracks, but nothing they couldn't repair. It might have been done with a win or the stubborn nature they'd exhibit in defeat, battling until the final out and whittling away at the deficit. But there also was the game exactly one year ago in Cleveland that reminded them of the distance between a contender and a team in the early phases of a teardown and...

While taking nothing for granted in a COVID-ravaged world, we can reasonably assume that the sight of Spring Training 2.0 and a shortened - but certainly sweet - 2020 season on the horizon is not a mirage. With the target window now in the Independence Day/All-Star break vicinity, we can almost smell the hot dogs and the horsehide. In the meantime, we'll tide ourselves over with Nationals baseball from seasons past. Not a bad deal, really, considering that many of those seasons produced...

With regard to the potential return of baseball in July, Nationals closer Sean Doolittle expressed concern on Twitter about the health and safety of himself and his fellow players on the field as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Doolittle expressed through Twitter that he is concerned about working with others indoors. If a player or staff member gets the virus, does the entire team need to be tested? How long will the quarantine continue? What safety protocols will be in place when a person...

To say the least, Orioles minor league left-handed pitchers Alexander Wells and Zac Lowther have a lot in common. A lot. They are close in age, with Wells 23 and Lowther just turned 24 on April 30. They were both non-roster invitee pitchers in O's big league camp in Sarasota. Both have been named the Orioles' Jim Palmer Award winner as Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Both excelled last year at Double-A Bowie. And here is another one - both have some doubters as it relates to their big...

The Orioles are supposed to be in Minnesota today to start a three-game series. They're supposed to be putting last year's failings behind them. In a big pile that could bury them if it toppled. Three games against the Twins at Camden Yards produced three losses. Three games at Target Field produced three losses. All of them coming in April, with a series win against the White Sox nestled in between. Alex Cobb made only three starts in 2019 and the last two came against the Twins before the...

The pandemic and absence of sports leaves many of us lamenting losses that, when kept in proper perspective, aren't really that important. They hurt but they don't do irreparable harm. This isn't a lecture. Maybe more of a reality check. I've got my health and my job. Same with my fiancée, sister, daughter and niece. My mother is doing the best that she can in isolation on the Eastern Shore Other people have it much worse and I remind myself of it each time that I look in the mirror and...