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...

If you've been trying to pry a list of Orioles managerial candidates from family, friends or beat writers, do yourself a favor and forget about it. There's an order here and it begins with the hiring of a replacement for executive vice president Dan Duquette, with the title to be determined. I've heard more than once that the new hire will compile the list of candidates to replace manager Buck Showalter. He or she will choose the successor. He or she won't be overruled. So, until we know...

Shortly after noon on Sunday, Mike Rizzo stood in the dugout at Coors Field and gave his end-of-season assessment of the 2018 Nationals, a team that had received plenty of elite performances from individual stars, outscored the opposition by 89 runs and yet barely finished over .500. What prevented the Nats from winning more games, Rizzo believes, was poor execution of "the little things" that make all the difference in a close contest. "I think that we have to work on the small aspects of...

The rebuilding of the Orioles moved from the clubhouse to the dugout and front office yesterday with the news - made official last night - that Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter will not return for the 2019 season. The Orioles' baseball operations will have a new leader, new voice and a new vision at some point this offseason. The team's press release last night stated this: "The club will hire an executive from outside of the organization to lead the Baseball Operations department. Once in...