Left-hander Matt Grace made quite a transformation in his role out of the bullpen in 2017. He faced lefties and righties, came at different points in the game and even started a game at San Diego, providing a versatility on the roster that was close to unmatched. But that was no big deal to Grace, who didn't appear in a game until April 26 and bounced around in May before finally staying on the Nationals roster beginning with a June 17 game. Hit total usage was less than seven innings in May...

According to MLBTradeRumors.com, this time last year, 15 of its top 20 free agents had signed. This year that number is five of 20. Why have the signings been slow to develop? When the situations with Shohei Ohtani and Giancarlo Stanton got resolved, some felt there would be a flurry of signings to follow. It didn't happen. Some thought the Winter Meetings would be active with signings. Nope. We are closing in on six weeks to spring training and the movement has been slower than Matt Wieters...

As we count down the final days of 2017, we're counting down the most significant stories of the year for the Nationals. Some are positive. Some are negative. All helped define this baseball season in Washington. We'll reveal two per day through New Year's Eve, beginning right now with ... No. 8: The bullpen makeover The Nationals cruised through the first half of the 2017 season. They took over first place in the National League East Division on April 18 and never gave it back. They carried...

Another day has passed for the Orioles with Manny Machado at third base, three openings in the rotation and the same need for a left-handed bat or two. A veteran catcher and utility player also haven't been crossed off the list. This is going to be a process. Here are three more pitchers worthy of a blog discussion while waiting for the hot stove to no longer feel cool to the touch: Orioles manager Buck Showalter predicted early in 2017 that pitcher Jesus Liranzo could have an impact on the...

Catching up on more news during my vacation last week, I see that ESPN unveiled roughly one-half of its "Sunday Night Baseball" slate for the 2018 season. And lo and behold, the Nationals are actually prominently featured in a manner we haven't seen before by the Worldwide Leader in Sports. The Nats were selected to play in three of the first seven "Sunday Night Baseball" games of the season, including the April 8 finale of their opening home series against the Mets. They'll also appear...

It was interesting to read a report from MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko a few days ago about the Orioles approaching Zach Britton earlier this year to gauge his interest in returning to a starter's role. It seems Britton was just fine with staying as a closer and all of this happened before his recent Achilles surgery, which will delay his start to the 2018 season. While the Orioles seem very unlikely to move a reliever into a starter's role for 2018, I have often thought the reliever best...

There are no holiday updates on the Orioles' search for starting pitching and a left-handed reliever with plus velocity and the splits to present the option as a specialist. The 40-man roster includes 24 pitchers, and the Orioles have announced 14 more on minor league deals since Nov. 28. Maybe there's strength in numbers. I've spent part of the offseason choosing Orioles who need to step up or have various questions circling over their heads. Let's toss out another handful. * Alec Asher is...

If I've learned nothing else in 13 years on this beat, it's this: The best way to ensure the Nationals make some offseason news is to go on vacation. It has happened before, and it happened again last week. While I was soaking up the sun (and watching the Capitals blow a sure-win over the wretched Coyotes) with my family in Arizona, the Nats went and signed two free agents: Matt Adams and Tommy Milone. These weren't major moves, not in the least. In Milone's case, it's actually a minor...

The Orioles will hold their annual three-day minicamp in Sarasota beginning on Jan. 8 and manager Buck Showalter has been compiling his list of invitees and awaiting the responses. Former outfielder Dariel Álvarez could be summoned to the Ed Smith Stadium complex while rehabbing from ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow back in April. The minicamp serves multiple purposes, including the opportunity for the Orioles to check on injured players or the ones who underwent a medical...

Well, I return from a few days off to find that the Orioles have not yet added any key starting pitchers and/or subtracted Manny Machado. One of the best talents in team history is still an Oriole, but will it stay that way? There are two main reasons that I feel Machado should be traded. First, paying him $300 million or more is probably not a good move for a team with a decent payroll, but not one of the largest in baseball. Second, the Orioles may not be able to win right now, even with...