Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch were suspended by Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred Monday for allowing the team's uniformed personnel to steal signs electronically during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Luhnow and Hinch were suspended through the 2020 World Series. The Astros also were fined $5 million - the maximum allowed under MLB rules - and they'll have to forfeit first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021. About an hour the initial report...

The important offseason dates keep falling off the baseball calendar, leaving it almost as bare as an oak tree in the winter. The Orioles have moved past the arbitration period, the upcoming hearing dates not applying to a team that reached agreements with all of its eligible players. Hall of Fame voting results will be announced Jan. 21 on MLB Network, revealing whether Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is a unanimous pick. The local angle for Orioles fans is reduced to whether Curt Schilling is...

Nationals minor league reliever Fausto Segura died Sunday night in his native Dominican Republic, the club announced today. Segura, 23, was riding a motorcycle near Maria Montez International Airport in his hometown of Barahona when he was hit by a van, ESPN Deportes reported. "He was beloved by his teammates, coaches, coordinators and everyone he came in contact with throughout our organization," the Nationals said in a statement announcing Segura's death. "We extend our deepest sympathies...

The Orioles keep whittling their offseason shopping list, with pitching and maybe a defensive-minded center fielder the remaining priorities. The latter only on a minor league contract. Seeking a fourth catcher to provide depth and camp competition, the Orioles today announced the signing of veteran Bryan Holaday to a minor league deal. He's going to be included on the list of invites. Holaday, 32, is a career .241/.287/.340 hitter in parts of eight major league seasons since the Tigers...

Pitchers and catchers report in another month, and before you know it, West Palm Beach will again be filled with the sounds of cracking bats and dugout chatter as the Nationals prepare to defend their World Series title. At the same time, 29 other teams will reconvene in Florida and Arizona with notions of knocking the Nats off their perch atop the major leagues. Especially motivated will be the Marlins, Mets and the 2019 National League East champion Braves. And then there's that club just up...

A top official for the Fredericksburg Nationals said the construction of the team's new home is on schedule, and that he is confident the venue will be ready for the 2020 season. The parent Nationals' high Single-A affiliate - formerly the Potomac Nationals or P-Nats - is moving to Fredericksburg, Va., from its previous home in Woodbridge, Va. The club began playing in Woodbridge in 1984 as the Prince William Pirates and now moves south with the dreams of a state-of-the-art stadium soon...

The promotion lasted all of 11 days, during which time Carter Kieboom experienced the full gamut of emotions. He homered in his major league debut April 26 to earn a curtain call but struck out with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth later that night. He homered again two days later, then got just two hits in his next 27 at-bats. And he had all kinds of misadventures in the field, charged with four errors in only 10 games while misplaying a couple more balls. And then it...

With the Orioles report date for spring training fast approaching, today we take a look at the club's position players heading into camp. Certainly, this could change pending any further roster moves. O's pitchers and catchers are due to report to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla., on Feb. 11 and the first full-squad workout is Feb. 17. The spring training opener is Feb. 22 against Atlanta and the 2020 season opener is March 26 at home versus the New York Yankees. Here is a look at the...

Darren Holmes already had ties to the Orioles prior to his hiring as bullpen coach. One that played out in public and another that happened behind the scenes - its significance to the organization much slower to develop. Fans can be excused if they've forgotten how Holmes appeared in five games with the Orioles in 2000, former executive Syd Thrift acquiring a reliever who was trying to pitch through a back injury that later required surgery. What does Holmes remember about his brief tenure in...

Max Scherzer understands why everyone was concerned, from club officials to doctors to media members to Nationals fans who watched the staff ace deal with strange and seemingly significant back and neck injuries last season, right up into the World Series. Yes, he got through it all and even pitched well in Game 7 to help put the Nats in position to win their first championship. But surely there would be lingering effects that required offseason attention or changes in preparation for next...