The expansion of the protective netting at Camden Yards and most ballparks meets the approval of Orioles reliever Darren O'Day, who's been an advocate of it for many years. However, the possibility of Major League Baseball instituting a 20-second pitch clock brings the opposite reaction. One out of two might have to suffice. The Orioles are extending the netting from section 16 to section 58, though the exact dimensions will become official after further work with the design and engineering...

Matt Albers has reportedly agreed to a two-year contract with the Brewers, parlaying his career season in the Nationals bullpen into a $5 million deal in Milwaukee. Albers' deal, reported by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, is still pending a physical. Once that final step is completed, the veteran right-hander will become the first prominent free agent who played for the Nationals last season to sign elsewhere for 2018. Though the Nats had some interest in attempting to re-sign Albers, he was...

We had a great time at Orioles FanFest this past weekend! Thank you to all the fans who stopped by for their free Social Snapshots or just to say "Hey" to our team, and congrats to all of you who left with great prizes. Of course, some of the highlights of the day were the Orioles players and MASN talent stopping by to take Social Snapshots with you fans. And what a way to kick off the day by having outfielder Trey Mancini as our first visitor. Mancini was not just a highlight at FanFest, but...

The Single-A Potomac Nationals confirmed at their Hot Stove Banquet on Sunday that the club has extended its lease to play at Pfitzner Stadium until the 2020 season. They also have the option to end the lease early if they are able to find the opportunity to move into a new stadium elsewhere. Owner Art Silber, who continues to spearhead the new stadium campaign, could not provide specifics, but confirmed the location would be at least within a "30-mile radius" from their present location in...

When the television cameras pan the crowd at tomorrow night's State of the Union address by President Donald J. Trump, don't be surprised if you see a certain bearded former Nationals outfielder who's more than a little legendary in these parts. And the reason for his invitation to sit in the gallery at the once-a-year speech has nothing at all to do with his baseball career. According to Roll Call, Jayson Werth will be at U.S. Capitol on Tuesday night, a guest of Rep. Rodney Davis, an...

It's been more than two months since he was named the National League's Cy Young Award winner, but on Sunday night, Max Scherzer officially was presented with the award itself. Scherzer was among several players honored at the annual New York Baseball Writers' Dinner, joined by fellow winners of the BBWAA's annual end-of-season awards along with the winners of awards given out specifically to New York players. It was Scherzer's second straight January trip to the Big Apple to receive a Cy...

On Saturday night, current Nationals and former Virginia Cavaliers Ryan Zimmerman and Sean Doolittle were inducted into the inaugural class of the University of Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame. Mike Cubbage, a special assistant to Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, was also among the first inductees. Of course, Doolittle can always brag he hit more homers than Zimmerman did while they were at Virginia in 2005. Doolittle, a first baseman in college, hit 11 to Zimmerman's six. Which got me...

In three of the last six seasons, the Orioles have led the major leagues in home runs. They topped every club by hitting 212 in 2013, 211 in 2014 and 253 in 2016. The 2017 Orioles hit 232 home runs, but that ranked only fifth both in the American League and the major leagues behind the Yankees (241), Astros (238), Rangers (237) and Athletics (234). The Orioles had seven players hit 20 or more homers last season for just the second time in club history. The 1996 team also had seven. Tim Beckham...

Zach Britton couldn't attend Saturday's FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center, an excused absence based on his Achilles surgery and rehab in California. But the Orioles closer was a presence at the annual event, spreading positive updates about his recovery in an online Q&A and conference call with the media. He also maintained a humorous dialogue through his Twitter account while referenced in the season ticket holders' session with executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager...

The Nationals' offseason to date has not included any real additions, only the re-signing of free agents Howie Kendrick, Brandon Kintzler and Edwin Jackson, plus the swapping of Adam Lind for Matt Adams. There's still plenty of time and, more importantly, plenty of available players to make some significant transactions that will dramatically alter things. But for now, the 2018 Nationals look a whole lot like the 2017 Nationals. That's not a bad thing, mind you, considering the 2017...