From time to time it is very interesting and also educational to hear from scouts from organizations outside of Baltimore to get opinions on Orioles players. I did just that recently with an American League scout who provided several solid insights on various O's minor league players. He had coverage of a few O's farm teams this year and got some good looks at players. He was generous with his time and opinions. We jumped around to various players, some highly ranked and others not ranked. So...

The overgrown avian who has danced countless times on the dugout roof at Camden Yards to the strains of "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" will now have a second home. The Mascot Hall of Fame, devoted to the living cartoons who entertain at sporting events of all kinds, will induct The Oriole Bird this summer. The news came last night at the Whiting, Ind., museum's Fur Tie Fundraiser. The hall's class of 2020, voted in by the museum's directors, its members and the public at large in October,...

For the Orioles, the progress in 2019 of young pitcher Ryan Wilson had to be a real positive development. The 23-year-old lefty was moved from a bullpen role to starting and he had a big season for Single-A Delmarva. His year flew under the radar a bit as he pitched in a rotation with pitchers like Grayson Rodriguez, Gray Fenter and Drew Rom, but Wilson made 17 starts for the Shorebirds. He went 6-5 with a 2.80 ERA. Over 93 1/3 innings he allowed 73 hits and gave up just six homers with 29...

SAN DIEGO - The Nationals lost another home-grown superstar and the Angels have another superstar in their lineup. And it looks as though there are going to be plenty of 13-11 games next season in Anaheim. Anthony Rendon, a free-agent third baseman whose late-inning postseason heroics helped the Nationals win the World Series, has signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Last offseason, the Nationals lost outfielder Bryce Harper, who signed a $330 million contract...

SAN DIEGO - When Bryce Harper departed 9 1/2 months ago, Nationals fans directed their ire at the star outfielder, blaming him for turning down the club's best offer and accepting a then-record-setting deal with one of their most hated rivals. And when Harper made his return to D.C. in a Phillies uniform five weeks later ... well, those fans left no doubt about how they'll forever feel about one of the best players in team history. When Anthony Rendon departed Wednesday night, fans seemed to...

The Rule 5 draft is set for today at the Winter Meetings in San Diego. The Orioles have the second pick. At last year's meetings in Las Vegas, the Orioles had the first pick in this draft and selected Oakland infielder Richie Martin. Martin, who turns 25 on Dec. 22, was originally drafted in the first round (No. 20 overall) in the First-Year Player Draft by Oakland in 2015 and signed to a bonus of $1.95 million. But he batted .237, .235 and .234 in his first three pro seasons. That changed in...

SAN DIEGO - In the end, Anthony Rendon chose to switch coasts and switch leagues but still manage to stay out of the spotlight he strives to avoid by signing with a franchise that already has two of the game's biggest stars on its roster. Rendon agreed in principle to a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels tonight, according to a source familiar with the terms, ending his time with the Nationals after seven spectacular seasons and one World Series title that sealed his legacy in...

SAN DIEGO - The Orioles have made a selection in the major league phase of baseball's Rule 5 draft at every Winter Meetings since 2006. Pitcher Alfredo Simón began the streak, though the Orioles traded him to the Phillies for catcher Adam Donachie. It's a streak that's certain to grow this morning with the Orioles holding the second-overall pick behind the Tigers. Which position is the only element of mystery. The pitching pool is much deeper than last year, when the Orioles chose...

SAN DIEGO - Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias met earlier today with several agents representing middle infielders and starting pitchers, again targeting the two biggest areas of need. However, he doesn't expect any signings or deals to be completed at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. The Winter Meetings will close with the Orioles claiming pitcher Marcos Diplán off waivers Monday and selecting one or more players in the Rule 5 draft. The extent of their activity that...

SAN DIEGO - With Stephen Strasburg officially back for the long term, the Nationals know they'll enter the 2020 season with the same starting quartet that was instrumental in their World Series victory. Strasburg rejoins Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin and Aníbal Sánchez as a formidable foursome that will again serve as the backbone of this roster. What about the final spot in the rotation? That's very much up for grabs at the moment, and it appears it will remain that way heading into...