Throughout the offseason, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has alternately professed satisfaction with the tandem of Wilmer Difo and Howie Kendrick, who could share second base in 2019, and been in regular contact with the agents for a slew of free agents capable of taking over at the keystone. Through this complicated dance, I've wavered on whether second base is best turned over to someone who has played the position on a regular basis in recent seasons or whether the Difo/Kendrick duo...

Right-hander Wil Crowe is hoping to put it all together in 2019 after slowing down a bit at the end of 2018. The 6-foot-2, 240-lb. starter went 11-0 to begin the season with high Single-A Potomac, but then went 0-5 after being elevated to Double-A Harrisburg. Baseball America believes Crowe still has a lot of upside and lists him as its No. 5 prospect in the Nats top 10. National writer Carlos Collazo says Crowe does not have overpowering stuff, but does have an intricate repertoire that makes...

As we count down the final days of 2018, we're counting down the most significant stories of the year for the Nationals. Some are positive. Some are negative. All helped define this baseball season in Washington. Five top stories made the final cut, and we'll reveal one per day, continuing with ... No. 3: Juan Soto's arrival The Nationals had long touted a prized prospect of theirs, a young outfielder who signed out of the Dominican Republic and had since been dazzling in the minor leagues,...

As new Orioles manager Brandon Hyde stresses the importance of giving a full effort, whether through conversations over the phone, in face-to-face meetings or in spring training drills that send a message that carries into the regular season. He's going to seek out the older players who can provide examples to the younger crew. And he's also going to expect that same level of commitment no matter the date listed on a birth certificate. "A veteran player can really set a tone for the club,"...

Taylor Grover was sick in bed, given permission by his manager in Venezuela to skip a few games, as the Rule 5 draft unfolded in Las Vegas. He tried to stream it on his phone, struggling to get a wireless connection, and almost missed its most critical moment. The one that would change his life. The Reds had signed Grover, the 27-year-old pitcher fresh out of two independent leagues, and left him exposed two weeks later in the Triple-A phase of the draft that closed the Winter Meetings. The...

At a time when there is some talk in Major League Baseball about limiting or even eliminating defensive shifting, the Orioles now have a general manager that came from the team that shifted the most in the sport last year. In 2018, the Houston Astros shifted their defense on 37.3 percent of plate appearances. Tampa Bay was second at 30.0, followed by Minnesota at 28.4 and the New York Yankees at 28.2 percent. The Orioles were among the teams heavily using defensive shifts, ranking seventh at...

I can't let 2018 pass without emptying out my mailbag. Especially since it passes for cardio exercise in my household. No need for a treadmill that would only collect dust anyway, or be used to hang wet clothes. I can work my biceps by lifting all of the duplicate questions. You ask 'em, I answer 'em and someone else asks the same ones. It's a tradition unlike any other. Let's get started on the latest sequel to the "Because You Asked" series, which will garner more award nominations...

Aníbal Sánchez had recently turned 34 when he made his 2018 debut for the Braves (against the Nationals, for what that's worth). He was the not-so-proud owner of a 10-20 record and 6.09 ERA over the previous two seasons with the Tigers. He had to have at least some doubts deep inside his head that he might never get another significant big league contract. When he makes his 2019 debut for the Nationals, Sánchez will be 35 and the proud recipient of a two-year deal that guarantees him...

New Orioles manager Brandon Hyde checked with the Cubs, his most recent employer, to gauge the availability of their coaches and minor league personnel as he scrambled to assemble a staff in Baltimore. He's succeeded in prying away one member of the organization. Tim Cossins is joining the Orioles with the responsibility of working with the catchers, per an industry source. His exact title isn't known, but he's going to be one of the coaches under Hyde. Former bench coach John Russell had...

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a two-year contract with a team option for 2021 with right-handed pitcher Aníbal Sánchez on Thursday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Sánchez, 34, went 7-6 with a 2.83 ERA in 25 games (24 starts) for the Atlanta Braves in 2018. His 2.83 ERA was the second-best mark of his career and the best since he posted a 2.57 ERA in 2013 as a member of the Detroit Tigers. He struck out 135...