The top prospect in the Nationals system, according to Baseball America, comes as no surprise to anyone, and that is center fielder Victor Robles. He was so good that he made the Nats' postseason roster even though he had only a handful of major league games under his belt before the Nats faced the Cubs in the National League Division Series. One part of his game that maybe is not touched on enough in making him a complete player is his defense. While with high Single-A Potomac, Robles made...

If the Orioles do pull off a trade involving Manny Machado, should they then continue the trades? Should a partial or a complete rebuilding of the team commence? O's management seems against that, and with both Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter in the last years of their contract, it could get awkward to ask them to start building a team for a future they don't know they will be a part of. But the Orioles look like a real long shot to have much of a chance in the American League East this year...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - While the Orioles fielded trade offers for their star third baseman and top relievers at this week's Winter Meetings, they also checked on the level of interest in designated hitter Mark Trumbo. The Orioles are open to moving Trumbo and freeing up the designated hitter spot while he has two years and $26 million remaining on his contract. One source said teams counterpunched with the request that the Orioles absorb a portion of the remaining money. Trumbo led the...

I could be wrong, but I believe we have only had one offseason edition of "10 questions for O's fans." So it is time for another. Free free to answer all 10 questions or just one or two. Provide brief answers or go in depth with your response. You make the call and you provide the comments and answers. 1) If the Orioles trade Manny Machado, which team will he go to? 2) What return should the club seek for Machado? 3) Are most fans for or against a trade of Machado? Would the fans understand...

When it comes to ranking prospects, few have done it longer or done it better than Jim Callis. For many years he was the key guy for prospects at Baseball America. Now he works for MLB.com and MLBPipeline.com. During the Winter Meetings, I asked Callis a simple question, but one that doesn't lend itself to a simple answer: What makes a good prospect and what goes into ranking prospects? By that, I meant what does he look for and how does he weigh certain attributes of a player? How important...

Today, we begin a new series in this space. We'll introduce you to some Orioles scouts over the rest of the offseason. Some fans may not even know their names. Hopefully, after reading some upcoming posts, you'll know a lot more than that. So let's begin ... For many years, Kirk Fredriksson was a general manager for a couple of summer college league teams in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. For part of that time, current O's executive vice president Dan Duquette owned the...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The trade talks involving Orioles third baseman Manny Machado will carry into the weekend, according to executive vice president Dan Duquette, eliminating the opportunity for immediate closure and the outpouring of sentimentality, outrage or whatever emotion sweeps over the fan base. It figures to be intense in nature. The latest edition of the Winter Meetings have come to a conclusion and the Orioles leave the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort without making a...

To this point, the offseason has featured constant debate and discussion about what the Orioles will do to rebuild their starting rotation. That topic drifted to the backburner at the Winter Meetings. All it took were rumors and speculation about trade possibilities for Manny Machado. We later found out some of the rumors are indeed based in fact. The prediction here is that the Orioles trade Machado. The reports that indicated the Chicaco White Sox would part with either Lucas Giolito or...

One of the Nationals' unspoken but most significant concerns of the winter is the status of Daniel Murphy, who had surgery on his right knee Oct. 20 that initially left the club unable to say for sure if the All-Star second baseman would be ready for the start of the 2018 season. In the eight weeks since Murphy had the procedure - officially a debridement and microfracture surgery to repair articular cartilage - the Nationals have begun to get a clearer picture of his timetable for recovery....

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals came to the Swan and Dolphin Resort with a short but clear list of needs. They departed having addressed only one of those needs, but they did so in a manner that should please just about anyone who cares about such things, at a price that should allow them to address their other needs later this winter. The late-night re-signing of Brandon Kintzler to a two-year, $10 million contract that's technically not a guaranteed two-year, $10 million contract -...