On a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in our nation's capital, the Nationals put on a hitting clinic against the Mets pitching staff that ended in a 23-5 victory, making up for dropping the first two games of the series. What fans will remember most is the All-Star performance by third baseman Anthony Rendon. Rendon came out of an early season slump when he went 6-for-6 (including two singles and a double), blasted three homers and collected a career-high 10 RBIs (his previous career high was four...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Part of the debate over the wisdom of trading third baseman Manny Machado, and it's been a dominant topic as the Winter Meetings move into their third day, is whether he'd net a more bountiful return at the non-waiver deadline. While surface logic says that a greater number of prospects are made available with Machado under team control for a full season, contenders tend to get desperate around July 31 and more easily sell their souls - or part with young impact...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - That the Nationals reportedly are interested in Wade Davis is not surprising. They made a run at the reliever at last year's Winter Meetings, only to watch as he eventually was traded by the Royals to the Cubs for outfielder Jorge Soler. There is one major difference for the Nats between last winter's pursuit of Davis and this winter's potential pursuit of Davis: They didn't have a closer one year ago; they do now. The July acquisition of Sean Doolittle addressed...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - To no one's surprise, Orioles manager Buck Showalter is conceding nothing in the American League East - even after the rival New York Yankees added Giancarlo Stanton. When Showalter was our guest on "MASN All Access" yesterday, we discussed the fact that some fans are saying they are discouraged right now. They know the Orioles are coming off a last-place finish, still have to fill out a rotation and then have to beat out Boston and New York to win the division. Oh,...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The sun came up this morning and the Orioles hadn't traded third baseman Manny Machado or moved him to shortstop. Let's see what the rest of the day brings. If Machado remains in the organization, and I can't place odds on it, I'd expect him to be the starting shortstop on opening day. Call it a hunch, call it my ability to read between the lines. It just seems as though manager Buck Showalter has made a decision and isn't ready to go public with it. The biggest...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The second day of baseball's Winter Meetings were light on moves, but, as usual, heavy on speculation. The biggest move on Tuesday involved the Yankees, who traded third baseman Chase Headley to the Padres, leaving them without a proven third baseman, as well as an established second baseman. The Yankees traded second baseman Starlin Castro to the Marlins in the deal that brought Giancarlo Stanton to the Bronx. So what will the Yankees do? For now, the Yankees have...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette met with multiple teams today regarding possible trades involving third baseman Manny Machado. Whether a deal is consummated remains an uncertainty, with Duquette clearly open to the idea but also trumpeting Machado's value to the organization. Buckle up. "There's a lot of interest in Manny and a couple of clubs requested a meeting, so we met with a couple of clubs on that issue," Duquette said inside his suite at the...

LAKE BUENVA VISTA, Fla. - Well, not every topic concerning the Orioles involves Manny Machado, it turns out. The club, by the way, is still looking for several starting pitchers. And the quest for pitching might end with one or more hurlers coming to Baltimore via the trade route. In a one-on-one interview this afternoon with MASNsports.com, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said some of the club's young outfielders are drawing interest in trade talks. "I was heartened today....

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - No matter how prepared he thinks he is, new Nationals manager Dave Martinez cannot escape one indisputable fact that will dog him until March 29: He's never managed in the major leagues. Baseball history is rife with learned men who have been unsuccessful in their first go-around at the helm of a big league club. Joe Torre finished in last place his first three seasons as Mets skipper and was fired from three jobs before he latched on with the Yankees, where he won...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The 2018 Winter Meetings are, in all likelihood, going to be the Bryce Harper Winter Meetings. With baseball's annual event just happening to be held in Las Vegas at the same time the town's most famous native professional athlete just happens to be a free agent, a circus atmosphere is pretty much expected by everyone. Unless, of course, the Nationals somehow find a way to re-sign the star right fielder to a long-term extension before then. What are the odds of that...