As David Hess tumbled out of the Orioles rotation and off the 25-man roster, unable to stay in the zone that carried him through 6 1/3 hitless innings in Toronto on the first night of April, he believed that he had more in the tank. He used the phrase during our phone conversation last weekend. He mentioned how pitching coach Doug Brocail and director of pitching Chris Holt agreed with him. It was a group opinion. But what exactly does it imply? That he's capable of pitching deeper into games?...

Yes, we do discuss the Orioles rebuilding a lot on this blog. It's interesting to discuss and it's also the factor that dominates just about everything with the team right now. It seems every baseball decision is made with rebuilding in mind. Some call it tanking and it is your right to use any word you want. To me, that word has a connotation of trying to lose. I don't see the Orioles encouraging losses, but Mike Elias and his front office inherited a team that lost 115 games. They didn't...

It was mid-July of a 2018 season that was getting away from the Nationals. In an 8-5 loss to the Braves, right-hander Stephen Strasburg and teammate Max Scherzer got into a verbal back-and-forth after the San Diego State product was lifted following a rough start. The camera caught the two in heated discussion - presumably about Strasburg's outing - before they quickly left the dugout and headed down the stairs to the home clubhouse. Following that loss, the Nats fell 6 1/2 games in back of...

Remember last winter when baseball free agent spending was moving at a crawl. If it was even moving that fast. The top contracts were not signed until after spring training had started. On Feb. 21, 2019, the San Diego Padres signed former Oriole Manny Machado to a 10-year deal worth $300 million. A week later, the Phillies signed Bryce Harper to a 13-year deal worth $330 million. But sometimes big dollars don't equate to big wins. The Padres went 70-92 and finished in last place. The Phillies...

When the Nationals re-signed catcher Yan Gomes to a two-year, $10 million contract in late November, it assured them of retaining their productive tandem behind the plate for at least another season. Gomes rejoined Kurt Suzuki, who is entering the final campaign of a two-year, $10 million deal inked last offseason. That's two catchers who the veteran Nationals pitchers love throwing to, two guys who hold their own with the leather and were surprisingly productive at the plate last season,...

As Brandon Bailey gets settled in the spring training clubhouse and begins the bonding process by meeting his new Orioles teammates, he'll be able to find a familiar face and voice to offer comfort and the type of instruction that could lead to a spot in the 2020 rotation. The Rule 5 pick knows and respects Chris Holt, the former Astros minor league pitching coordinator who's been promoted by the Orioles from the same role to director of pitching. "When I first spoke to him after the Rule 5...

The holidays are a time for giving, which is complicated since someone has to be on the receiving end to make it work. (It's a thinker) I'd like to give Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias an unlimited budget to supplement a rebuild process. Funnel cash into the international scouting and analytics departments, but also push some of it toward the best starting pitchers on the market - whether to sign as free agents or inherit fat contracts. Do you think the Astros...

The Orioles today announced their 2020 Major League Coaching Staff. They have named Fredi González as Major League Coach, Darren Holmes as Bullpen Coach, and Anthony Sanders as First Base Coach. José Hernández shifts from Major League Coach to Assistant Hitting Coach, while all other coaches remain in their same positions: Doug Brocail as Pitching Coach, Tim Cossins as Major League Field Coordinator/Catching Instructor, José Flores as Third Base Coach, andDon Long as Hitting...

The 2020 Orioles coaching staff is now official. The hiring of Anthony Sanders as first base coach, Fredi González as major league coach and Darren Holmes as bullpen coach have been announced after various reports surfaced over the past four weeks. Sanders replaces Arnie Beyeler and González replaces José Hernández, who shifts to assistant hitting coach, the role previously held by Howie Clark. Holmes replaces John Wasdin. Beyeler, Clark and Wasdin weren't retained for next...

The champagne (if you've got any left after October's revelry) will taste just a little sweeter this New Year's in Nats nation. Whatever else might have been going on in the world and our individual lives over the year that is now coming to a close, we will look back on 2019 with delight as we recall the way the Nationals' refusal to give up made hearts and pride swell in the District, Northern Virginia and the Maryland suburbs. The "Nationals Classics" lineup over the next seven days...