Hints were dropped at the Winter Meetings that the Orioles could go with a three-man bench and carry 13 pitchers. Manager Buck Showalter never stated it as a certainty, but he implied that they could follow the trend in baseball. He also pointed out why it would be an extreme challenge. Why it seemed unlikely to transpire, circumstances stomping out the idea. "The problem is, if you look at our schedule and the way the game's going, most people are going with 13 pitchers, so now you're...

You already have Orioles FanFest on Saturday, Jan. 27 circled on your calendar. Who doesn't? Well, there are two more dates you need to be aware of ahead of FanFest, especially if you want to get autographs from your favorite Orioles at the Baltimore Convention Center. (If you need a reminder, FanFest will be held 11 a.m.-6 p.m., with early entry for Orioles season plan members beginning at 10 a.m. as part of the Orange Carpet Program.) Vouchers for autograph sessions at FanFest will go on...

Vouchers for autograph sessions at Orioles FanFest will go on sale Wednesday, January 17, at 10:00 a.m. ET. The list of autograph session times and participants will be posted online for preview at www.orioles.com/fanfest by 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 16. Orioles FanFest will be held on Saturday, January 27, at the Baltimore Convention Center from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with early entry for Orioles Season Plan Members beginning at 10:00 a.m. as part of the Orange Carpet Program. At this...

It continues to be a quiet offseason for the Nationals. (Though to be more accurate, it continues to be a quiet offseason for nearly every franchise in the sport.) The good news is that we are inching closer to baseball season. Pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach in a mere 34 days. So let's take some time this morning to answer your burning questions about the Nats. Ask about what moves they still may make before the start of spring training. Ask about players already on the...

Only eight of the 17 pitchers at the Orioles minicamp in Sarasota threw off a bullpen mound over the course of three days. Richard Bleier had sessions on Monday and yesterday. I'm including Ryan O'Rourke in the group of invitees because the Orioles wanted to check on him following ligament-reconstructive surgery on his left elbow that forced him to miss the 2017 season. O'Rourke and Dariel Álvarez, who had the same procedure on his right elbow, are in rehab mode. David Hess played catch,...

There was a time when you could find scouts who felt that Chance Sisco would never improve enough on defense to ever catch an inning in the major leagues. You don't hear that talk anymore - and he did, in fact, catch in the majors after a call-up last September. Now the talk more centers on just how much has Sisco improved as a pro on defense, how well will he do throwing out runners and how ready he is for a big league opportunity. In 2018, his chance could truly arrive, no pun intended. The...

The 2017 season was the year of the triple play for Baltimore. One of the rarest feats in baseball, the Orioles accomplished it twice in two different ballparks almost three months apart. The first was on May 2 at Fenway Park and was a bit unconventional. A popup from Jackie Bradley Jr. failed to meet J.J. Hardy's glove, but he quickly tossed the ball over to Jonathan Schoop, who tagged Mitch Moreland before touching second to force Dustin Pedroia out, then fired it over to Chris Davis to get...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles' latest minicamp provided an opportunity for manager Buck Showalter and some of his coaches to check on the Ed Smith Stadium complex after it incurred damage from Hurricane Irma and with new sod being laid on the Camden Yards replica field. A scoreboard is going up later this winter and the batter's eye must be replaced. Netting beyond the outfield fence will save baseballs from being lost in the pond or oncoming traffic. Trees have been cleared out - some by...

As we continue our Throwback Thursday posts, we'll defer to Bob Carpenter and his handy-dandy scorebook for this week's memorable moment from last season. We rarely get to see two of the best players in baseball go head to head, with Bryce Harper playing in the National League East and Mike Trout in the American League West. But the stars aligned - so to speak - in 2017 as the former MVPs met in, where else, the City of Angels for a two-game set. And, boy, did they put on a show from the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles concluded their three-day minicamp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex this morning with Richard Bleier throwing his second bullpen session. Bleier was the only pitcher on a mound today and the only one cleared for multiple sessions this week. This is the fifth year in a row that the Orioles have held their minicamp in Sarasota. Dariel Álvarez did some long-tossing again while rehabbing from ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. As I wrote in my last...