The Orioles today announced that they have claimed infielder/outfielder Joey Terdoslavich (pronounced ter-doss-lah-vitch) off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. Terdoslavich, 27, batted .281/.391/.452 (41-146) with 11 doubles, one triple, four home runs, and 24 RBI in 42 games with Triple-A Gwinnett in 2015, including a .326/.431/.558 (14-43) slash line against left-handed pitching. Over 28 games with Atlanta last season, he hit .214/.254/.375. In 604 career minor league games, Terdoslavich...

Happy new year and welcome back to "Out of the Park," Nats fans! I hope everyone had a very nice holiday season as we return to the real world this week. It would probably take a short novel to put together all of the holiday posts from the Nationals players over the break, so we'll just pick up from this week. Outfielder Matt den Dekker happened to spend his New Year's Eve in Dallas and was able to get over to AT&T Stadium with wife Christine to watch the NFC East champion Redskins...

Denard Span is the latest Nationals free agent to officially leave Washington this offseason, signing a three-year, $31 million deal with the Giants on Thursday night. Span became one of the most beloved Nationals after arriving in D.C. in a trade with the Twins prior to the 2013 season. Over the last three years, Span slashed .292/.345/.404 as the catalyst of the Nationals lineup while displaying show-stopping defense in center field. In 2014, Span tied for the National League lead with a...

Another outfielder came off the board yesterday when Denard Span agreed to terms on a three-year, $31 million contract with the Giants that also includes a possible $5 million in incentives. The Orioles liked Span as a right fielder and leadoff hitter, but they weren't offering more than one season. The deal would have been loaded with incentives. I figured that Span would get two years from another team. I never imagined a third guaranteed year. The Orioles never gave it a thought due to...

So it seems with each player signing with a team that is not their team, Orioles fans' collective pulses beat a little faster. The tension rises. The concern grows. Coming off last offseason where good players got away and were replaced by lesser ones, fans are worried that it could happen again. To make matters worse, unlike last year, this time the Orioles have made a huge money offer to retain Chris Davis. But even that hasn't worked out so far. Did you ever think you would see a day the...

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has known Daniel Murphy for many of the wrong reasons over the past seven seasons. Murphy has been one of the toughest outs for Nationals pitchers as a member of the Mets since making his major league debut in 2007. So by signing Murphy, Rizzo has not only bolstered the Nats roster, but also damaged the division rival Mets lineup. "It's a very exciting day here in Nats Land, landing a supremely talented, gritty, team-orientated player to help take us to...

If the Nationals add another outfielder this offseason, it won't be Denard Span. The Giants announced this evening they reached a three-year deal with Span, one reportedly worth $31 million, pending a physical. Span had been the Nationals' center fielder and leadoff hitter since coming to Washington in a trade with Minnesota before the 2013 season. Speaking earlier today following a press conference introducing new Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy, general manager Mike Rizzo indicated...

Happy 2016, Nats fans! A new season of Nats baseball will be here before we know it, with pitchers and catchers set to report in just a little more than a month. The Nationals have been busy this offseason, adding players such as Daniel Murphy, who had his introductory press conference today. With additions and with players heading into free agency after the 2015 season, the Nats roster will look much different in 2016. A key subtraction is veteran Denard Span, who just signed a three-year deal...

Over his seven seasons, Daniel Murphy has been known as one of the best contact hitters in the majors. He struck out just 38 times in 538 plate appearances in 2015 while batting .281 last season. But after averaging nine homers per season from 2009-2014, Murphy launched 14 longballs last year. Then came a postseason power surge, with Murphy smacking seven homers, including one in a record-breaking six straight games. The artillery show helped the Mets to the World Series and won Murphy the...

On the day that Mark Quinn is introduced as the Orioles' new assistant hitting coach, it's important to spin back the dial to 2000, his rookie season with the Royals and a conversation with Brady Anderson that changed his life. Anderson was playing his next-to-last season with the Orioles. Quinn was headed to a third-place finish in Rookie of the Year balloting in the American League. In baseball's small world, they briefly were teammates in 2003 with the Padres' Triple-A affiliate in...