With now about six weeks to go before the start of another spring training, the market remains flush with some big name position players. Chris Davis, Yoenis Cespedes, Alex Gordon and Justin Upton are all still out there. Jason Heyward signed an eight-year deal for $184 million with the Chicago Cubs. It contains - of course - an opt-out clause and the potential for a second one. His signing was supposed to signal the startup of outfielders coming off the board, but so far that has not...

If the Orioles are going to upgrade their rotation, they need to find a veteran with a track record, someone who can slot near the top and give them innings and a chance to win every five days. Yovani Gallardo and Doug Fister remain on the market. Fister is a prime candidate for a bounce-back season and he makes a lot of sense for the Orioles, who don't routinely dangle four- and five-year deals in front of free agent starters. Tyler Wilson and Mike Wright are two of the in-house candidates,...

One big question regarding top Nationals prospect Lucas Giolito is when the first-round draft selection from 2012 will make his debut with the major league club. The 21-year-old right-hander has continued to make very good progress and movement in the minor league system. Giolito pitched for high Single-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg in 2015. He combined to go 7-7 with a 3.15 ERA over 19 starts (21 games). He twirled 117 innings and struck out 131 batters. The focus at instructional league...

A crazy 2015 is now in the rear view mirror for the Nationals. A season loaded with expectations broadened by 'Where's my ring?' proclamations came crashing to an end with an embarrassing in-house fight a day after elimination from the postseason picture. Injuries ruined the core of the team and the Nationals never quite recovered. But there were plenty of positives, led by Bryce Harper's breakthrough MVP season and Max Scherzer's two no-hitters. At 23, Harper appears poised to remain in...

Happy new year to all Orioles fans. Hope this will be a great year for you and the team you root for. The Orioles rotation will need to be better this year. No matter what additions or changes the O's make to their starting five, the holdovers simply must do better in 2016. Last year, Chris Tillman went 11-11 with a 4.99 ERA. In 2014, he went 13-6 with a 3.34 ERA. Miguel Gonzalez went 9-12 with a 4.91 ERA last year after going 10-9 with a 3.23 a season before. Even Kevin Gausman fell off a...

We've entered a brand-spanking new year with the Orioles' roster still a construction zone. Slow down while going through it. On one hand, they've gotten more done this winter than in 2014 with the additions of Vance Worley, L.J. Hoes, Mark Trumbo, Hyun Soo Kim and Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard, along with retaining Matt Wieters via the qualifying offer and re-signing Darren O'Day to a four-year, $31 million deal. There's also a batch of minor league signings intended to improve organizational...

The 2015 season was a year of firsts for Nationals first baseman Clint Robinson: He made his first major league opening day roster, played outfield for the first time in his professional career, blasted his first homer in the majors, experienced the birth of his first child and even pitched his first full inning in the big leagues. All of it happened for Robinson, 30, after playing 928 games in the minors from 2007-2014. Originally a twenty-fifth round draft pick out of Troy (Ala.) University...

So free agent left-hander Scott Kazmir got an opt-out clause. I really don't understand the Los Angeles Dodgers' thinking here. Kazmir signed a three-year deal with the Dodgers that will reportedly guarantee him $48 million. But he has an opt-out clause after the first season. If he pitches poorly, the Dodgers are on the hook for all three years and $48 million. If he pitches well in 2016, he can leave the team and re-enter the free agent market at the end of the year. Must be a great time to...

Left-hander Scott Kazmir is off the board, and he's not on the Orioles' 40-man roster. The Dodgers announced today that they've signed Kazmir to a three-year deal. Various reports have the total value at $48 million, and the contract includes an opt-out clause after the first year. Maybe the Orioles will get another shot at him next winter. The Orioles apparently were willing to go three years with Kazmir, but he sought a fourth year in the earlier stages of free agency - a deal-breaker for...

With the Orioles in the market for another left-handed bat and searching for one more outfielder, it's natural to link them to Denard Span as we approach 2016. Span also would fill their need for a leadoff hitter, allowing them to lower Manny Machado in the order. They place a great deal of emphasis on defense, and Span isn't suited for New Year's Eve celebrations because he rarely lets a ball drop. I confirmed in November that the Orioles held interest in Span and his name came up at the...