LAS VEGAS - His roster may be crying out for a dependable left-handed matchup reliever, but Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo doesn't consider adding one among the most pressing tasks he has to accomplish at the Winter Meetings. Aside from closer Sean Doolittle, the Nationals bullpen tilts decidedly toward the right side. The other two left-handed holdovers - Matt Grace and Sammy Solís - had mixed results last season. Grace had his best season as a major leaguer, posting a 2.87 ERA and...

LAS VEGAS - It will obviously be a huge moment for new Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias. But we are going to have to wait a few months for it. In June, the Orioles have the No. 1 pick in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft. For just the second time in team history, they select 1/1, the first pick in the first round. The Orioles took Ben McDonald out of LSU with that selection in 1989. Right now, there are two players that are getting the most buzz for...

LAS VEGAS - The Orioles subtracted Maryland native Ryan Meisinger from their 40-man roster today and claimed infielder Rio Ruiz off waivers from the Braves. The Cardinals claimed Meisinger before he could clear, ending the feel-good story of the local kid pitching for his favorite team. Meisinger attended Northern High School in Calvert County and made his major league debut on June 29 at Camden Yards. Ruiz, 24, is a left-handed hitting third baseman taken by the Astros in the fourth round of...

LAS VEGAS - Mark Lerner's surprising, if honest, revelation last week that he expects Bryce Harper to sign with another club this winter was met with understandably strong emotions from all those invested in the most significant free agent storyline of the offseason. But within the Nationals front office, it was viewed less as a firm declaration of the club's resignation to move on from Harper and more as an off-the-cuff remark from the man wielding the most power in the organization. So the...

Major League Baseball has announced the annual Winter Meetings Charity Auction is now live. All items will benefit The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the Jackie Robinson Foundation. The Orioles are offering three unique experiences for fans to bid on at mlb.com/wintermeetingsauction: Lunch with Mychal Givens and Trey Mancini: A fan and a guest will have the chance to have lunch with RHP Mychal Givens and INF/OF Trey Mancini prior to a home night game at a local restaurant. The winner will...

LAS VEGAS - If you want to feel what it's like to be a member of the media covering the Nationals, get a behind-the-scenes look at what the grounds crew at Nationals Park does or receive a private lesson with Nats hitting coach Kevin Long in the stadium batting cages, get your clicking fingers ready to bid. Beginning this morning, and running through Thursday at 10 p.m., these Nationals-centric goodies and other baseball items and experiences are up for bid at the annual Winter Meetings...

LAS VEGAS - The Orioles are providing fans with an opportunity to have lunch with two of their players next year, assist the grounds crew and enjoy a behind-the-scenes experience at Camden Yards. It's also for a good cause, a win-win situation before the first pitch has been thrown. Major League Baseball revealed this morning that its annual charity auction at the Winter Meetings will benefit The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the Jackie Robinson Foundation. And the Orioles are offering...

LAS VEGAS - A nice honor today for Orioles outfield prospect Ryan McKenna. He was named to the 2018 Arizona Fall League Top Prospects Team. The team is selected by AFL managers and coaches to recognize players that excelled during the six-week season. In 17 games with Glendale, the 21-year-old McKenna hit .344/.474/.590. He scored 16 runs and produced six doubles, three triples, a homer and nine RBIs. He hit .383 against right-handed pitchers and finished second in the AFL with an OPS of 1.064....

As we gear up for another Washington Nationals Baseball season, the Racing Presidents are training to be better than ever in 2019, and they are looking for new applicants to "run for office" and join the next class of Racing Presidents! Racing Presidents auditions will take place on Sunday, January 6 and the deadline to apply for a tryout is Saturday, December 15. Aspiring Presidents looking to fill the shoes of George, Tom, Abe, Teddy, and Bill can find more information and apply here....

LAS VEGAS - It's been circled on the calendar for years, this perfect confluence of baseball's signature offseason event, Bryce Harper's first foray into free agency and everything coming together on the Las Vegas Strip, just down the street from Harper's home. And after all that anticipation and speculation, it's finally time for this long-awaited spectacle to get underway. The Winter Meetings officially open for business today, and nobody's debating what the top story will be at the...