As our offseason coverage kicks into high gear, we're going to review each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Trea Turner, who after missing six weeks with a broken finger returned to play every day and produced despite lingering effects. PLAYER REVIEW: TREA TURNER Age on opening day 2020: 26 How acquired: Traded from Padres with Joe Ross for Steven Souza Jr. and Travis Ott, who went to Rays in three-team deal, December 2014 MLB service time: 3 years, 135...

As the club they support is not loaded with talent, it seems that many Orioles fans are feeling some anxiety about what might happen with middle infielder Jonathan Villar. The only player in the majors with at least 24 homers and 40 steals in 2019, Villar produced 4.0 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), according to FanGraphs.com, to lead the club. Trey Mancini was named Most Valuable Oriole, but Villar had a strong case after a big second half. But now with an arbitration price tag that could reach...

In a normal year, Victor Robles' performance might have been enough to warrant serious consideration for Rookie of the Year honors. This, however, was no normal year, which meant the Nationals center fielder wound up well down the list in voting among his fellow first-year players. Robles finished sixth in the race for 2019 National League Rookie of the Year, an award that went to Mets first baseman Pete Alonso in overwhelming fashion. Alonso, who set a new major league record for home runs by...

Orioles left-hander John Means, who was a surprise as the club's best starting pitcher in 2019, tonight finished second for the Jackie Robinson American League Rookie of the Year Award in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Means, 26, received 53 points, getting 16 votes for second place and five for third place. Two writers from each AL city voted for their top three for the award. The easy winner was Houston's Yordan Alvarez, who was unanimous and got all 30...

The amount of speculation that piles up during an offseason reaches such heights that no device can be invented to measure it. The only response is to learn how to distinguish it from fact. What is truth as opposed to an assumption. What comes from actual sources as opposed to imaginations. What's read between the lines instead of the actual lines. No one with the Orioles is offering confirmation, but it isn't too risky on this date to expect the following: Austin Hays will play center field...

A primer on the postseason awards that are voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America before the end of the season that will be announced this week: NL Manager of the Year: Yes, it was a bonehead admission by the voters not to have the Nationals' Davey Martinez among the final three, given that he led the team to a wild card postseason spot after starting 19-31. This award has vague standards, but the Cardinals' Mike Shildt is on because his team was an overachiever. Craig...

The Baseball Writers' Association of America this week announces its four major postseason awards. Votes have to in before the end of the regular season. Here's an American League primer: AL Rookie of the Year: Orioles lefty John Means wasn't one of the team's top pitching prospects in spring training and started the season in the bullpen. He made the AL All-Star team and was the Orioles' best pitcher, getting 12 of the team's 54 wins. He had 121 strikeouts in 155 innings. He made...

The degree to which Hunter Harvey has advanced his professional career can be measured through bullpen projections for 2020. Through the notion that Harvey might be the only sure thing for the Orioles. There are assumptions to be made, of course. Mychal Givens is slotted into the bullpen with the caveat that he could be traded, if the market cooperates, while MLBTradeRumors.com projects his salary to climb to $3.2 million. Richard Bleier is mentioned as a non-tender candidate, but I've been...

Today we continue a look at Orioles minor league pitching in 2019 through the eyes of director of pitching Chris Holt. We've published a couple of entries recently with Holt, and in this one, he'll take a closer at four of the club's top pitching prospects. DL HALL Hall was the Orioles No. 1 pick, taken No. 21 overall out of a Georgia high school in 2017. While his overall stats were not as strong in 2019, he pitched all year in the Single-A Carolina League at 20 and turned 21 on Sept....

As our offseason coverage kicks into high gear, we're going to review each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Howie Kendrick, who as a part-time player in the regular season put up some of the best numbers of his career and then became a postseason legend. PLAYER REVIEW: HOWIE KENDRICK Age on opening day 2020: 36 How acquired: Signed as free agent, January 2018 MLB service time: 13 years, 91 days 2019 salary: $4 million Contract status: Free agent 2019 stats:...