The Manny Machado trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers brought the Orioles a five-player return headlined by Double-A outfielder Yusniel Díaz. The rebuilding of the Orioles has begun. Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette made some comments last night that should prove very popular with the Orioles fan base. He laid out the plan that fans have been asking about often. Duquette said more trades are likely and that, "In conjunction with that, we're also going to be making significant...

Freddie Freeman joked Tuesday that the Nationals Park crowd would be on his side when he went against Nationals hero Bryce Harper in the Home Run Derby. But when Freeman stepped into the batter's box for the first-round match, reality set in: The boo birds came out at Nationals Park. That was normal, more like it. Freeman was happy with that. "That means I've done well here," Freeman said after losing 13-12. Done well against the Nationals is an understatement. In 125 career games against...

Before this season, Orioles right-handed pitching prospect Branden Kline had not pitched in a minor league game since early in the 2015 season. Now, after missing nearly three full years, he is back, pitching well, throwing with top velocity and moving closer to realizing his dream of pitching in the majors. The 26-year-old native of Frederick, Md., and a 2009 graduate of Thomas Johnson High School, Kline had Tommy John surgery in October 2015. He expected to return close to full health for the...

Manny Machado will be introduced at tonight's All-Star Game in D.C., maybe tip his cap to the crowd, and try not to think about the possibility that he's playing shortstop for the last time while representing the Orioles. They aren't moving him back to third base. They could be moving him to another team later this week, with the Phillies, Dodgers and Brewers deemed again yesterday to be the three finalists, according to a source. Machado may not make it to Friday. It's that close. Rumors...

WASHINGTON - Former Oriole Nelson Cruz is not getting older, he's getting better. OK, well, he actually is getting older, but at 38 he is an All-Star for the sixth time, and he's having another strong season. He's batting .267/.363/.538 in 81 games for Seattle with 22 homers and 55 RBIs. He hit 40 homers and drove in 108 in his one year as an Oriole, helping the team to 96 wins and an American League East division championship in 2014. That winter the Orioles offered him a three-year deal to...

Blake Treinen sat at a table in the club level at Nationals Park, his name emblazoned beneath the All-Star Game logo behind him, his smile wide as he spoke to familiar faces about his first career selection for the Midsummer Classic. Only 20 feet to Treinen's left sat Wilson Ramos, also smiling widely as he discussed his second All-Star appearance, though disappointed a recent hamstring strain will prevent him from playing but nonetheless thrilled to be here. One hour earlier, Felipe...

Nationals slugger Bryce Harper is the headliner on his home field tonight as the 2018 Home Run Derby gets underway at Nationals Park. Harper said he decided to participate in the Home Run Derby because it is in D.C. this time around. "I think just being able to do it in D.C., being able to do it in front of the fans, have fun and enjoy that," Harper said. "It's huge being able to run out there knowing you are in your own ball park," he added. "You feel right at home. Definitely weird...

WASHINGTON - The starting shortstop for the American League in Tuesday night's All-Star Game spent about 45 minutes this afternoon covering the same ground. Manny Machado sat at a table during the AL media session on the second level of Nationals Park and repeated how he'd prefer to play shortstop, but has no control over it if traded. Only in free agency does he wield such power. Machado wishes that he could stay with the Orioles, but if he's destined to be dealt he'd rather it happen soon...

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper held court this afternoon before the Home Run Derby and talked about how much he loves to play baseball. But after 96 games in the 2018 campaign, as his Nationals reach the All-Star break, it sometimes appears like Harper hasn't been loving every day this season. He's hitting only .214, the lowest of any of the National League All-Stars who are preparing for Tuesday's Midsummer Classic. A .243 mark in 2016 was the lowest batting average he ever had to...

WASHINGTON - When he was an Oriole, Nick Markakis was always very cordial and available to reporters. But he certainly wasn't going to fill up any notebooks with quotes. Amid a horde of reporters today on the eve of his first All-Star Game, he referenced his reputation for being a man of few words. "There is a lot of media time, which I'm really excited about," he said, drawing a lot of laughs. "No, I get it. You guys are here for your job and we're here to take care of that for you...