LAS VEGAS - Even before he'd settled into his suite at the Delano Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Nationals general manger Mike Rizzo had swiftly and decisively checked off most of the items on his offseason to-do list. He'd bolstered the back end of his bullpen by trading with the Marlins for Kyle Barraclough and signing free agent Trevor Rosenthal to set up closer Sean Doolittle. He'd reworked his catching corps, signing free agent Kurt Suzuki for another tour in D.C. and...

LAS VEGAS - When Victor Robles hit .353 over his first seven Grapefruit League games in spring training, Nationals manager Davey Martinez didn't get carried away with thinking how his top prospect might impact the lineup in 2018. Martinez knows spring training stats can be fool's gold, and that wunderkind prospects can suddenly look line overmatched roster filler once they've faced - and struggled against - good major league pitching. After hitting his first spring training home run on March...

LAS VEGAS - Former Orioles hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh has been hired as hitting coach with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City. Coolbaugh accepted the offer this week and signed his contract earlier today. Coolbaugh replaced Jim Presley as hitting coach prior to the 2015 season. His contract ran out on Oct. 31 and he wasn't expected to return under a new manager, who's expected to be hired later this month from a field of six candidates. I've heard that Coolbaugh also...

LAS VEGAS - Though multiple teams have approached the Nationals in recent days about Tanner Roark, general manager Mike Rizzo suggested he isn't looking to trade the veteran right-hander and would only do so if he had already bolstered his rotation with another significant acquisition. Responding to a report early this morning by Yahoo! Sports that the Nationals "have engaged in multiple discussions to trade" Roark, Rizzo admitted there have been some talks this week, but only those...

LAS VEGAS - It seems every year at the Winter Meetings we have a chance to talk with MLB Network analyst and commentator Harold Reynolds. This year was no different. I interviewed Reynolds today at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and touched on several different baseball topics. Reynolds on the possibility of MLB limiting defensive shifts: "It is going to be a very controversial topic. The commissioner is kind of in a box right now because the offense has been down. Players have clearly not...

LAS VEGAS - Orioles shortstop prospect Cadyn Grenier lives 10 minutes from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. He never had a reason to show up at the Winter Meetings until today. Grenier conducted a few interviews with local media and hoped to meet later with executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias. Make a full day of it. "It works out well for me that I live here, that they're coming in," he said. "And with Mike being the new GM and everything, to be able to be in the same...

LAS VEGAS - The Orioles have the No. 1 pick in the Rule 5 draft, which is the last event of the Winter Meetings. It takes place 9 a.m. Pacific time on Thursday at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Baseball America executive editor J.J. Cooper is as knowledgeable of that draft as anyone and has written on it and studied it for years. Here is his latest story previewing this year's draft. The Houston connection with the Orioles' Mike Elias and Sig Mejdal could come into play on...

LAS VEGAS - The Winter Meetings are all about rumors. They dominate the lobby conversation day and night at the Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort. They fuel all sorts of media speculation. And they're discussed each day when reporters meet with general managers to get an update on their team's machinations. This morning brought some chatter n Yahoo! Sports about the Nationals shopping right-hander Tanner Roark, who seems an unusual trade candidate considering that general manager Mike Rizzo...

LAS VEGAS - The Orioles aren't expected to shop Dylan Bundy at the Winter Meetings, with executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias referencing the right-hander in a letter sent out to season ticket holders. However, some of the executives who have gathered at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino are curious about the availability of Alex Cobb, who has three years and $43 million remaining on the deal he signed in spring training. I spoke with one executive yesterday who thought the...

LAS VEGAS - It's probably no surprise that while Orioles fans seem excited with their new general manager Mike Elias, and national reporters echo some of their feelings. Two I talked with yesterday, ESPN's Keith Law and Jonathan Mayo of MLBPipeline.com, spoke highly of what Elias can do for the Orioles. "I think it's a great hire," said Mayo. "Obviously, you see the success the Astros have had in terms of what the Orioles now need to do in terms of rebuilding from within. That is in areas...