SAN DIEGO - Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias isn't the lone wolf of the Winter Meetings in 2019. He has a manager. He has a broader staff that can be deployed throughout the Manchester Grand Hyatt and on the minor league property. He can conduct business in a manner more befitting a major league executive, at least on a club undergoing a massive teardown and rebuild. "It's definitely a lot more focused," Elias said earlier today. "It's been pretty busy. We have...

SAN DIEGO - Citing him as "one of our most popular and most important players on the roster," general manager Mike Rizzo officially announced the re-signing of Stephen Strasburg to a record-setting contract this afternoon, kicking off the Winter Meetings with the kind of bang the Nationals have only occasionally delivered at this annual event. "As you all know, he's a player near and dear to my heart," Rizzo said of the No. 1 draft pick he signed upon becoming GM in 2009. "Drafted,...

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a seven-year contract with right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg on Monday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Strasburg, 31, went 18-6 with a 3.32 ERA and struck out a career-high 251 batters in 33 starts in 2019. He led the National League in wins (18) and innings pitched (209.0) and ranked among National League pitchers in strikeouts (2nd, 251), opponents' OPS (4th, .620), opponents'...

SAN DIEGO - Thanks to a record seven-year $245 million deal, pitcher Stephen Strasburg is staying with the Nationals. Strasburg, 31, who opted out of the four years left on his $100 million contract, will spend his career with the Nationals. He's on a path to make the Hall of Fame, but the question is how long will his record contract be a record? Apparently not long. Various media reports, including ESPN, MLB Network and MLB.com, say that teams will start making their offers to Gerrit Cole,...

SAN DIEGO - Only hours into the opening day of the Winter Meetings, the Nationals have checked off one of their biggest boxes of the offseason: re-signing Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg and the Nationals have agreed to terms of a new contract that will pay him $245 million over seven years, a record deal for a major league pitcher both in total value and average annual value ($35 million), a source familiar with the terms confirmed. The new deal is expected to be formally announced later this...

SAN DIEGO - The Orioles have expanded their involvement in the Winter Meetings beyond the Rule 5 draft that's held later this week. In the latest move to improve their pitching depth, the Orioles claimed right-hander Marcos Diplán off waivers from the Tigers on the first day of the meetings. The 40-man roster has increased to 38 players. Diplán, 23, pitched at the Double-A levels in the Brewers and Twins systems this year and posted a 4.85 ERA and 1.471 WHIP with 44 walks and 73...

In support of the annual charity auction during Baseball's Winter Meetings, the Orioles will auction off unique experiences and autographed memorabilia for fans to bid on. Proceeds from the auction will benefit several different ALS charities which provide a mix of awareness, research, and care. All items below will be fulfilled on a mutually agreed upon date. Auction experiences include the chance for a fan and a guest to have lunch with 2019 American League All-Star John Means prior to...

SAN DIEGO - How would you like to get a personal bullpen session in with a World Series champion pitching coach? Or get a family photo session with the Commissioner's Trophy? Those items are now up for bid as part of the Major League Baseball's annual Winter Meetings auction, which this year benefits ALS Charities. Bids can be placed here and remain live until 10 p.m. Thursday. Every MLB club offers up multiples items for auction, and the Nationals have two offerings for fans. The first is a...

SAN DIEGO - Major League Baseball redirected the Winter Meetings flow of information this morning, however briefly, by announcing details of its annual charity auction. This year's auction, with the Orioles again active members, will benefit five charities and nonprofit organizations committed to research, care and awareness/education of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which is more commonly known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease." The Orioles are making available a collection of autographed...

SAN DIEGO - Catcher Ted Simmons, who played in the shadows of Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk and Gary Carter, will join the three backstops in the Hall of Fame in July. Simmons, who caught at least 150 games in eight different seasons, was voted into Cooperstown by the Hall's Modern Era Committee Sunday at baseball's Winter Meetings. The Modern Era Committee, one of four rotating committees that considers various periods, also voted in Marvin Miller, the pioneering union executive that led the...