The long, slow, often behind-the-scenes dance Bryce Harper has been playing all winter has to come to an end eventually, right? I mean, he's going to be playing for some team in 2019, and pitchers and catchers report for spring training in 4 1/2 weeks. Few are surprised the Harper saga has stretched into January, but most observers around the sport don't expect it to stretch much longer. Harper and agent Scott Boras have a pretty good sense of the market at this point, and this weekend...

If he made a list of goals for the 2019 season, avoiding any arbitration hearings would be well down the list for Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias. But it's nice anyway for the first-year GM to avoid hearings and he will accomplish that after reaching agreements with three arbitration-eligible players yesterday. The O's came to terms with pitchers Dylan Bundy and Mychal Givens and infielder Jonathan Villar. Barring trades or injuries, all three should play key...

The need for more infield depth led the Orioles earlier today to make another waiver claim. The Orioles have brought Hanser Alberto into the organization, with catcher Andrew Susac designated for assignment to create room on the 40-man roster. Alberto, 26, can play all four infield positions and is a career .309/.330/.438 hitter in 1,000 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He slashed .330/.346/.452 last summer in 101 games at Round Rock in the Rangers' system, and .322/.366/.392 in 43...

The Orioles started their minicamp this weekend in Sarasota, an adjusted version of it that won't be flooded with players and serves in large part to allow new hires to become more familiar with the complex. A handful of players already have been working out there, including pitcher Mike Wright Jr., catcher Chance Sisco and outfielder Austin Hays. Reliever Richard Bleier is joining them as he continues his throwing program following lat surgery in June. "A couple other guys come in and pop...

None of the Orioles who are eligible for arbitration will be going to a hearing. The deals are done. The club has reached agreements with infielder Jonathan Villar, starter Dylan Bundy and reliever Mychal Givens on contracts for the 2019 season. An announcement will come later today. Terms aren't immediately available. The Orioles acquired Villar, pitcher Luis Ortiz and infielder Jean Carmona from the Brewers on July 31 for second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who was non-tendered and signed a...

With second baseman Brian Dozier agreeing to join the Nationals, infielder Carter Kieboom's named bubbled to the surface again with many saying Dozier is just a placeholder for the prospect for one season or less. That's high praise for Kieboom, who is just 21 and was a first-round selection in the 2016 draft. Kieboom has done a nice job of demonstrating that he is closer to being ready for the responsibility of playing second base, and ultimately shortstop, in the major leagues in the near...

The Nationals were able to agree to terms on 2019 contracts with Anthony Rendon and Trea Turner before today's 1 p.m. Eastern time deadline, but couldn't complete negotiations with Michael A. Taylor and Kyle Barraclough, who now must file for arbitration, according to a source familiar with the decisions. Players across baseball with three to six years of big league service time were engaged in down-to-the-wire talks today, and there were so many submissions to Major League Baseball...

Just one more month to go. Hold on. Waiting out the winter can be tough on a baseball fan. T.S. Eliot called April "the cruelest month," but we all know that that distinction belongs to January. It seems like forever since we enjoyed a game at Camden Yards on a sweltering night or watched the Orioles live on MASN in our shorts with a cold one at the ready. But we're halfway through the month now, and this time next month, Sarasota will be stirring as spring training gets rolling. Meanwhile,...

It's arbitration deadline day across Major League Baseball, which sounds like one of those really important days of the offseason with lots of dramatic news. But, to be honest, it isn't nearly as interesting as some might think. The gist of what happens today: Players who are eligible for arbitration (more than three years' big league service time but fewer than six, plus those pesky "Super Two" players) must either come to terms with teams on their 2019 salaries or else file competing...

The activity that's been aimed at the Orioles' 25- and 40-man rosters in the offseason hasn't produced national headlines. There were three acquisitions in the Rule 5 draft and depth moves for the pitching staff, infield and catching position. Some of them haven't been announced and there could be others still under wraps. The decision to use the first pick in the Rule 5 draft on infielder Richie Martin has the potential to be one of the most impactful, considering that he's a candidate to...