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...

Just a few short days ago, we were sitting around a lovely Thanksgiving table setting with family and friends while shoveling turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and all sorts of food into our mouths. What a beautiful, American tradition. And now, with Thanksgiving come and gone, we are officially settling into the holiday season, which means only one thing for Nationals fans: Winterfest! The Nats' annual weekend-long celebration of baseball and the holidays is back and earlier than ever!...

Elgelb Vielma might actually stick with one organization before spring training. The Orioles outrighted Vielma to Triple-A Norfolk this morning after designating him for assignment on Tuesday to create an opening for pitcher Dillon Tate on the 40-man roster. Tate's contract was purchased from Double-A Bowie to protect him in the Rule 5 draft that's going to be held on Dec. 13 at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. Engelb cleared waivers, a departure from his odyssey last offseason. The Giants...

It never fails. The Nationals go weeks without making any news, and then the moment I go on vacation they suddenly create headlines. So I can't say I was shocked when - just as I was packing my bags and preparing to head to the airport eight days ago - the first report of the Nats signing Kurt Suzuki emerged. Yes, it happened again. Thanks, as always, to Byron Kerr and Pete Kerzel for stepping in to cover the news and everything else that happened over the last week while I was relaxing and...

While beginning the year with multiple Rule 5 draft picks on a major league roster is something that just may not work out, the rebuilding 2019 Orioles might have to consider starting the year with at least one Rule 5 pick. The Orioles have the No. 1 pick in the Dec. 13 Rule 5 draft that brings an end to the upcoming Winter Meetings. And when you have your pick of every eligible player not on another team's 40-man roster, there is really no reason not to make that pick. The Orioles can always...