Another major outlet released its national top 100 prospects list on Saturday afternoon. During a live telecast on MLB Network, MLBPipeline.com unveiled its new top 100, and the Orioles have placed four young players on the list. Catcher Adley Rutschman, taken with the No. 1 overall draft pick last June, ranks No. 4 on this list. The only players ranked higher were Tampa Bay shortstop Wander Franco at No. 1, Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux at No. 2 and Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis...

Challenged on a recent radio interview to name a few of my spring training curiosities relating to the younger players, I blurted out Ryan Mountcastle's name as if moved by a reflex. My leg didn't fully extend, but it was a similar sensation. Mountcastle isn't expected to head north with the team, though a final decision hasn't been made. That isn't why the media will watch him as if he were a Netflix documentary. It's about his defense again, which must test his patience. How much has...

If you went to bed early last night, the Nationals and Ryan Zimmerman finally worked out a new deal. Zimmerman will return on a one-year contract that guarantees him $2 million plus the potential to earn another $3 million in incentives, according to two sources familiar with the terms. The deal will become official once he passes a physical. There are plenty of ramifications and follow-ups to this news, so let's run through some of them this morning ... * This deal is a bargain for the Nats....

The only person to play in at least one game for each of the Nationals' 15 years of existence is coming back for a 16th year. Ryan Zimmerman and the Nats have agreed to terms on a new one-year contract that will pay the veteran first baseman a guaranteed $2 million plus incentives that could push the total value up to $5 million, according to two sources familiar with the move. The deal, which is pending a physical and includes a full no-trade clause, gives Zimmerman the ability to increase...

With some excitement in the Orioles organization for young talents like catcher Adley Rutschman and pitchers Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall, who have made the Baseball America top 47, and with Ryan Mountcastle closing in on the majors, what's going on with outfielder Yusniel Diaz? He is far from forgotten, although he did drop out of the Baseball America list of national top 100 prospects that was released this week. Diaz was the centerpiece of the five-player trade in July 2018 that sent Manny...

The Nationals have signed catcher Welington Castillo to a minor league deal, giving themselves another veteran behind the plate, where their depth was a bit thin. Castillo, whose signing was confirmed by a source familiar with the deal, has been a big league regular since 2013 with the Cubs, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Orioles and White Sox. The 32-year-old is a career .254 hitter with 98 homers, 339 RBIs, a .313 on-base percentage and .738 OPS in 726 games. Castillo struggled last season with the...

Another day passes and brings the Orioles closer to the Feb. 11 report date for pitchers and catchers at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. They've increased their pitching and catching depth, found their starting shortstop and improved their utility options. More activity is on the horizon, as I've written. They want another starting pitcher, willing to hand out a major league deal and make the corresponding 40-man roster move. A veteran on a one-year contract. And they are checking on available...

Does the signing of right-hander Brady Rodgers to a minor league deal end the Orioles' search for starting pitching? The short answer is "no." The longer answer is "definitely no." Rodgers, 29, is one of those depth moves that flood the offseason transactions wire. He's going to be invited to spring training, just like the majority of the players signed to minor league deals. But the Orioles would like to land a veteran and are willing to offer a major league contract. The money has to be...

Yesterday we looked at Nationals position players and tried to project whether the club will be better, worse or the same at each position. Today we'll attempt the same exercise for their pitching staff. Keep in mind, this is broken down into roles on the pitching staff (i.e. No. 1 starter, setup men). In some cases where there hasn't been a change, it's essentially a projection of how one pitcher is going to compare to last season. But in other cases where there have been changes, it's a...

With high strikeout numbers but declining home run numbers, the Orioles' Chris Davis has recorded an OPS of just .539 in 2018 and .601 last year. In 2019, over 352 plate appearances (his fewest since 2011), Davis hit .179/.276/.326 with nine doubles, 12 homers, 36 RBIs and 139 strikeouts. By September he was a part-time player, and he made just nine starts in that month. With three years left on the big contract he signed before the 2016 season, Orioles fans are wondering if Davis has made any...