As "Harper's Bazaar" approaches the three-month milestone - yes, free agency began nearly three months ago! - resolution appears either to be coming much more into focus or has turned as cloudy as it's ever been, depending on your reading of the tea leaves. Did the Dodgers' surprise move to sign A.J. Pollock on Thursday quash any chance of Bryce Harper going to L.A.? Did Joe Maddon's simple but direct answer to a Harper question last week at the Cubs' annual winter fan fest - "Not going...

The shuffling in the Orioles' minor league system is expected to reach down to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. While the club hasn't made an announcement regarding its affiliates, I've heard that Alan Mills will serve as manager for the GCL team. And this is a new level and role for the former reliever. Mills is replacing Carlos Tosca, who spent the past two summers as manager. Tosca is expected to work as an outfield and baserunning instructor, though again, nothing has been made...

Here is the second part of the interview with Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias on the minors and player development. If you missed part one, it's here. Today, a little more focus on pitching. The organization Elias left, the Houston Astros, has a strong reputation for developing young pitchers. On Houston's current top 30 prospects list on MLBPipeline.com, four of the top six are pitchers, and so are six of the top 10 and 10 of the first 14. Right-hander Forrest...

MASN's "Nats Xtra" pregame and postgame shows will have new hosts in 2019. New, but not unfamiliar. Dan Kolko will move from his role as the on-field reporter on Nationals television broadcasts to succeed the retired Johnny Holliday as host of "Nats Xtra," while former Nationals third base coach and Astros manager Bo Porter has been named as the program's analyst, filling the role most recently held by Ray Knight, whose contract was not renewed. Kolko's role as the team's on-field...

The Nationals are well-positioned to fill long-term holes in the outfield and infield from within their own farm system. Top pitching prospects? Not so much, at least according to Baseball America. The industry's leading ranker of minor leaguers unveiled its annual top 100 prospects list Wednesday, and three members of the Nationals organization (Victor Robles, Carter Kieboom, Luis Garcia) were included. Robles, the dynamic young outfielder, was deemed the 11th-best prospect in baseball...

There's nothing like a hero sandwich made with salami. So MASN serves up a triple-decker deal, along with a side of wild Werth and a Zimmerman three-run blast, in the upcoming batch of "Nationals Classics." Your plate is brimming with grand slams and walk-off heroics, so dig in! Thursday, Jan. 24, 12:30 p.m. - The Nationals didn't wait for the game to be over before starting the fireworks. It was July 4, 2011, and the Cubs were in town. With the score tied 4-4, Jayson Werth drew a walk to...

If he wants to develop that "elite talent pipeline" to build the Orioles from a 115-loss club into one that can one day win a championship, player development and the minor leagues will be critical for Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias. Elias provided this quote on that topic during the Winter Meetings: "This is an area, scouting and player development, where I have been my whole career. Where Sig (Mejdal) has spent most of his career. And we've had a lot of...

The Orioles have unveiled their coaching staff for the 2019 season under new manager Brandon Hyde and it includes one holdover from last summer. Howie Clark returns as assistant hitting coach after the Orioles offered him a minor league contract following the expiration of his previous deal on Oct. 31. He'll work with new hitting coach Don Long, who spent the past five seasons with the Reds and replaces Scott Coolbaugh. Tim Cossins has been named major league field coordinator and catching...

The Orioles today announced their 2019 Major League Coaching Staff. They have named Arnie Beyeler as First Base Coach, Doug Brocail as Pitching Coach, Tim Cossins as Major League Field Coordinator/Catching Instructor, José Flores as Third Base Coach, José Harnández as Major League Coach, Don Long as Hitting Coach, and John Wasdin as Bullpen Coach. Howie Clark will return as Assistant Hitting Coach. Beyeler, 54, spent the past three seasons as Manager of the Miami Marlins' Triple-A...

It take patience to be a baseball fan. No way around it, there's a lot of dead time in a game. But those who appreciate the intricate diamond ballet can wait it out and have their patience rewarded. And what's a better reward than a walk-off victory? This week's smattering of "Orioles Classics" on MASN is full of walk-offs, and also includes some victories of a more generic persuasion. But who are we kidding: Everyone likes a win, right? Some of the heroes are well known, others not so...