Four months of ups and downs, encouraging moments and discouraging moments, reasons for hope and reasons for despair come to a head today. It's July 31, and the time has come for the Nationals front office to make some big decisions. And the biggest decision may well involve the biggest name in their organization: Bryce Harper. What would have sounded like a hoax in early April - or, shoot, even in early July - is at least within the realm of possibility today. The Nationals could deal Harper...

The only thing we know for certain about Orioles outfielder Adam Jones and the possibility he could be traded is that he has the right to turn down any trade. That comes with being a 10-5 player, one that has been in the majors for 10 years and played five seasons with his current team. These rights are earned through service time, just like players earn the right to become arbitration eligible or a free agent. Similar to how some players have full or partial no-trade clauses written into their...

The Orioles concluded their homestand by winning three straight games over the Rays by scores of 15-5, 11-2 and 11-5. No save situations with Zach Britton off the roster. Showalter won't name a replacement closer, his hesitancy before Sunday based in part on the expected departure of right-hander Brad Brach, who eventually was traded to the Braves. Mychal Givens and Tanner Scott profile as potential ninth-inning specialists. Givens has one career save and it came to him in a 6-3 victory over...

Attention all Nationals fans: The CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Fan Challenge is back, and we want you to challenge rookie sensation Juan Soto to anything! You know that Soto is confident. The 19-year-old is probably better than you at hitting homers and chasing down balls in the outfield, but can you beat him in a cook-off, cornhole or a round of putt-putt? Whatever your challenge it is, tweet it to @masnNationals using #GoJuan. He'll pick a winner to face off in a head-to-head...

Calling all Orioles fans: The CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Fan Challenge is back! Do you want to battle Adam Jones in a cook-off? Do you think you have what it takes to take down the undefeated champ? Tweet a picture of your signature dish @masnOrioles with #IChallengeAJ, and you could face Jones in a cooking battle! So scour through your cookbooks, choose your best recipe wisely and let your inner foodie come out for your shot at the Fan Challenge! Find more details on our Twitter. Live...

Challenged to accept the torch passed to him by Manny Machado, Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop has run with it. Schoop was named the American League's Player of the Week for the period of July 23-29 after registering a .379/.379/.931 slash line with one double, five home runs, 13 RBIs and six runs scored in six games. He collected 11 hits in 29 at-bats. The announcement was made on MLB Network. Among the qualified AL leaders, Schoop was tied for first in home runs, RBIs and total bases,...

As the final hours tick down toward the non-waiver trade deadline, the Orioles are in a position they've been unfamiliar with in recent years. It's a full rebuild in Baltimore. From the top on down, the "r-word" has been thrown out frequently in recent weeks. It started with the trade of Manny Machado to the Dodgers. It continued when Zach Britton was dealt to the Yankees. It's been kept afloat as recently as yesterday when Brad Brach was sent to the Braves. The "r-word" these days...

The Orioles' plans to rebuild their roster have been given a big boost by the news that the Orioles are back in the international signings business. The team didn't completely neglect this area, but it's been real slow around here for a few years. That is now changing. According to Baseball America, the Orioles spent a total of $260,000 on international amateur players in 2016, and they signed nine players during 2017 for a total of $535,000. The Orioles' biggest-dollar signing last year...

Washington Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo has issued the following statement regarding Trea Turner: "I have spoken with Trea regarding the tweets that surfaced earlier tonight. He understands that his comments - regardless of when they were posted - are inexcusable and is taking full responsibility for his actions. The Nationals organization does not condone discrimination in any form, and his comments in no way reflect the values of our club. Trea...

The Nationals and shortstop Trea Turner have issued statements regarding offensive tweets that have surfaced from Turner's Twitter account dating to his time playing college baseball in 2011 and 2012. The statement from Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo read: "I have spoken with Trea regarding the tweets that surfaced earlier tonight. He understands that his comments - regardless of when they were posted - are inexcusable and is taking full...