As a pitcher taken with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2011 draft, right-hander Dylan Bundy arrived in the Orioles organization bearing the weight of some very high expectations. Those expectations that he would be a No. 1 starter, and maybe a dominant No. 1, were not realized. Tommy John surgery and shoulder issues took care of that. Bundy has been solid at times for the club and he's led the team the last two years in starts, innings and strikeouts. He's surely a gamer with a four-pitch mix...

As our offseason coverage kicks into high gear, we're going to review each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Tanner Rainey, who by season's end had established himself as one of the more reliable members of the bullpen. PLAYER REVIEW: TANNER RAINEY Age on opening day 2020: 27 How acquired: Traded from Reds for Tanner Roark, December 2018 MLB service time: 158 days 2019 salary: $555,000 Contract status: Under club control, could be arbitration-eligible in 2022,...

For this recent entry about Ryan Mountcastle and his addition to the Orioles' 40-man roster, I spent some time interviewing Triple-A Norfolk manager Gary Kendall. I talked with Kendall talking about two pitchers. We discussed left-hander Keegan Akin and right-hander Dean Kremer, who were both also recently added to the 40-man roster. Outfielder Ryan McKenna joined that trio and now none of the four can be taken in the upcoming Rule 5 draft. Throwing a fastball, slider and changeup, Akin went...

As our offseason coverage kicks into high gear, we're going to review each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Austin Voth, who proved to be one of the club's biggest surprises this season. PLAYER REVIEW: AUSTIN VOTH Age on opening day 2020: 27 How acquired: Fifth-round pick, 2013 draft MLB service time: 127 days 2019 salary: $556,000 Contract status: Under team control, could be arbitration-eligible in 2022, free agent in 2026 2019 stats: 2-1, 3.30 ERA, 9 G, 8...

If Adley Rutschman is the future of the catching position for the Orioles - and he most certainly is - the present in 2020 will probably look a lot like it did in 2019. Pedro Severino, Chance Sisco and Austin Wynns remain as the three O's catchers currently on the 40-man roster. The club seems set with that trio for next season as they also get set to watch Rutschman progress through his first full season on the O's farm. Both Severino and Sisco got off to hot hitting starts with the club...

We continue our conversation with Nationals pitching prospect Nick Raquet and get more information on his slider. A left-hander with his best pitch being the slider sounds familiar. How does it compare with Patrick Corbin's slider? "It's definitely my go-to," Raquet said. "I feel like if I'm in a pinch in any situation, I'm throwing my slider. It's probably my best pitch. I kind of grip it and rip it. I've never actually talked to Patrick. I would assume he spins the hell out of it. I...

The Nationals and Yan Gomes agreed to terms Wednesday night on a two-year, $10 million contract, ensuring the club will keep its productive catching tandem together for another season at a discounted price. The deal isn't official yet, but a source confirmed the two sides came to agreement Wednesday evening. ESPN.com was first to report the signing. The Nationals had declined a $9 million club option on Gomes earlier this month, instead paying off a $1 million buyout, but did express interest...

It sure looks like Jonathan Villar's time with the Orioles is coming to an end. With seemingly little interest via trade, Villar was put on waivers yesterday. Any team can claim him, but they would also inherit his arbitration status and potential salary of $10 million or more for 2020. The Orioles' decision appears to be that Villar is too pricey for a rebuilding club and they are about to officially cut ties with a player who had his best season last year. Villar hit .274/.339/.453 with 33...

Jonathan Villar was placed on outright waivers yesterday and he's still on them. No team has claimed him. No team seems willing to pay whatever he's going to make in arbitration, a salary that's expected to reach $10 million and maybe more. What's left to say about the situation? The Orioles are trying hard to trade him, as I've reported. They were in an aggressive mode at the July deadline, with the Cubs one of the teams engaged in talks, but no one took the bait. Executive vice...

There are no untouchables on the Orioles roster as they move through the offseason, a point made clear by executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias and others in the organization. Only varying levels of motivation to move certain players. Dylan Bundy has been a candidate to change teams, though the rotation already is flimsy and prospects aren't going to be rushed as replacements. He's arbitration-eligible again and MLBTradeRumors.com projects his salary rising to $5.7 million,...