The information and data age in baseball is here. It's been here for years now and we are not going back to a day when most fans only focused on batting average, home runs and RBIs for batters. Or wins and ERA for pitchers. The game has advanced way beyond those numbers. And, of course, those that work in a baseball front office are way ahead of most of us, and have been for a while now. As new Orioles general manager Mike Elias and his staff upgrade and enhance the club's use of analytics,...

There are any number of ways the Nationals need to get better on an individual basis, addressing specific needs at specific positions. But there's also a broader way the Nats need to get better, something that encompasses the entire roster. They need to be a better defensive ballclub. There's really no disputing this fact. Even though they boast an elite third baseman in Anthony Rendon, an above-average shortstop in Trea Turner ,and really athletic center fielders in Michael A. Taylor and...

Mike Elias has tapped into his Cardinals past to find pitching for the Orioles. The Orioles announced this evening that they've signed right-hander Josh Lucas to a minor league contract. The Cardinals drafted him in the 21st round in 2010 and he spent seven seasons in the organization. Elias, hired earlier this month as the Orioles' executive vice president and general manager, worked in the scouting department in St. Louis before joining the Astros in 2012. Lucas, 28, appeared in five game...

Sig Mejdal had no idea that he'd eventually be working in the Orioles front office when deciding to let his contract with the Astros run out in order to pursue other opportunities. It wasn't part of some grand scheme to get inside the B&O Warehouse. He can be described as a visionary of sorts, but not in this way. A perfect storm carried Mejdal to Baltimore. The organization surrendering to a full teardown and rebuild. The hiring of former Astros assistant Mike Elias as executive vice...

OK, we've gotten through Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday. But "Orioles Classics" are the gift that keeps on giving - all through the offseason, brightening your dreary, cold days with warm thoughts of baseball. This week's smorgasbord of "Classics" has some of the most revered names in O's history and a smattering of home runs. Hey, chicks aren't the only ones who dig the longball! A couple of games from the 1980s bookend some "Classics" of a more recent vintage. So...

The Orioles today announced the return of the weekly "GEICO Orioles Hot Stove" on 105.7 The Fan (WJZ-FM), the flagship station of the Orioles Radio Network. Beginning on November 29, fans will be able to enjoy one hour of Orioles news, analysis, special guests, and more each week broadcast live from the 105.7 The Fan studios from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET. The studios are not open to the public, and the program is available exclusively via 105.7 The Fan's radio broadcast and on the Radio.com...

The Nationals have been aggressive in addressing some of their needs early this offseason, more aggressive than most teams. They acquired two relievers (Kyle Barraclough and Trevor Rosenthal) before the calendar even reached November. They signed a catcher (Kurt Suzuki) before any of the other top free agents at the position found a new home. Those were important moves, and all should help the Nationals in areas where they clearly needed help. But let's not kid ourselves here, because the...

The Orioles haven't laid out a time frame for hiring a new manager, with Mike Elias offering confirmation last week during his introduction as executive vice president and general manager. A process too important to be rushed. A list too long to be chopped in hasty fashion. To quote Elias: "It's not something to rush for the sake of meeting artificial dates in the wintertime." Meanwhile, contracts for the entire coaching staff expired on Oct. 31. No one has landed a new job, from what I can...

Does rebuilding a baseball team have a beginning and an end? That is an interesting question that came up in our comments section yesterday. Are the Orioles done tearing down their roster? Does the rebuild truly begin now that Mike Elias has taken over baseball operations? I don't think you can put a date on a beginning and an end here unless you truly consider winning the World Series as the culmination. If that's the case, we'll have our date. But my opinion is that rebuilding is an...

The sweeping changes within the Orioles organization have impacted director of scouting Gary Rajsich. Rajsich won't return to the Orioles next season, according to multiple sources. The decision was made before his contract expired on Friday. New executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias is in charge of making hires within each department, and scouting is undergoing a major overhaul. Former executive vice president Dan Duquette hired Rajsich in November 2011 as one of his first...