The Orioles wouldn't consider trading reliever Mychal Givens at the Winter Meetings, valuing his potential as a future closer and contract status that kept him under team control through 2021. They steered rival executives toward pending free agents Zach Britton and Brad Brach and came as close to hanging an untouchable tag on Givens as they could have without actually tying the string behind his neck. Givens followed the two previous seasons that netted a combined 16-3 record by going 0-7 in...

Today's let's take a look at some of the Orioles minor leaguers that had the most productive seasons in 2018. Presenting one man's version of the Orioles' minor league All-Stars for this year. This is not a listing simply of the best prospects, but the players who produced the best at each position. In some cases it's clear cut and in some it's not. 1B Aderlin Rodriguez: Rodriguez hit two homers and drove in seven runs on the final day of the season for Double-A Bowie to cap off a third...

As our offseason coverage kicks into high gear, we're going to review each significant player on the Nationals roster. We begin today with Ryan Zimmerman, who once again produced when he was healthy but once again wasn't healthy as much as the Nats needed him to be. PLAYER REVIEW: RYAN ZIMMERMAN Age on opening day 2019: 34 How acquired: First-round pick, 2005 draft MLB service time: 13 years, 32 days 2018 salary: $14 million Contract status: Signed for $18 million in 2019. Club holds $18...

When Koda Glover reported to spring training and immediately had a recurrence of the shoulder pain that ended his 2017 season, the Nationals wasted no time acquiring a replacement right-hander for their bullpen. On Feb. 19, they signed Joaquin Benoit to a one-year major league contract that guaranteed the veteran reliever $1 million. The insinuation was clear: They weren't confident in Glover's health, and they were confident Benoit would instantly take over a significant role in their...

If you happen to be craving incremental updates on the showcase in Miami, you've again come to the right place. The Orioles' five-man contingent met yesterday with Victor Victor Mesa, Victor Mesa Jr. and pitcher Sandy Gastón, their families and representatives from Magnus Sports, which arranged for the workouts to be closed to the media. Bits and pieces have flowed out of them - the workouts, not the agents. Gastón flashed a fastball clocked at 96-97 mph. I've heard that Victor Victor...

When the American League playoffs began Wednesday night with the wild card game, a team that won 100 games hosted a team that won 97. While that was going on, a team that won 91 games was home resting, waiting to play in a best-of-five series while avoiding the pressure of a one-game season. So, is that fair? For me, it isn't. Boston led all AL playoff teams, winning 108 games, followed by Houston with 103, the Yankees with 100, Oakland with 97 and Cleveland with 91. The Indians won the...

We already know that the Orioles will undergo significant changes beyond their roster after moving away from executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter. There will be ripple effects, the only question how far-reaching. The press release noted how vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson, director of player development Brian Graham and director of scouting Gary Rajsich are "currently" under contract, and the wording jumped off the page and rolled under the...

We spent all week holding everyone with the Nationals - players, the manager and coaching staff, the front office, ownership - accountable for their disappointing season. Now it's time to hold someone else accountable for a disappointing season: ourselves! Yes, it's time to revisit those opening day predictions made by all of us who cover the Nationals. It has become an annual tradition, and I want to take a moment to thank my colleagues (even those who are no longer on the beat) for...

A few quick takes now that the Orioles' search for a new general manager and manager is on and the Major League playoffs are underway: The A's used an opener and lost: We can't dismiss the use of an opener or the Oakland A's using a bullpen game in the American League wild card game just because Oakland lost. If they had a top starter like Kyle Freeland, Chris Sale, Luis Severino or Jon Lester, they probably don't go with a bullpen game. But by doing so they were going with a strength. The...

Here is a look at the 2018 Salt River Rafters Schedule for their first week, starting Tuesday, Oct. 9. The Arizona Fall League team consists of prospects from the Nationals, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Rockies and Twins. Week 1 Oct. 9 at Surprise Saguaros, 12:35 pm MST Oct. 10 Surprise Saguaros, 6:35pm Oct. 11 Scottsdale Scorpions, 6:35pm Oct. 12 at Scottsdale Scorpions, 6:35pm Oct. 13 Bowman Hitting Challenge (Sloan Park), 6:35pm Oct. 14 off day The home stadium for the Rafters is the Salt River...