The Orioles continue seeking ways to improve their organizational depth while also planning a reunion of sorts. A club official confirmed today that the Orioles signed outfielder Xavier Avery to a minor league contract. It's assumed that the deal includes an invitation to spring training. Avery was a second-round pick by the Orioles in the 2008 draft, one spot before they selected L.J. Hoes. Both players have returned to the organization, with Hoes coming last month in a trade with the...

In two months, the Nationals will head to Viera, Fla., for spring training, and not much is decided about the middle of their infield. Ian Desmond's departure through free agency, the recent trade of Yunel Escobar and Anthony Rendon's upcoming move back to third base have left holes at second base and shortstop. Danny Espinosa is presumed to be the Nationals' opening day shortstop, but that's not a lock. Trea Turner will battle Espinosa in spring training, and if he loses out, the rookie...

Is today the day that the Orioles announce the Hyun-soo Kim signing? I'm no longer making predictions on news releases and conference calls, but I'm expecting the two-year deal to become official today. I've been rearranging my schedule since Friday in anticipation. Who needs Christmas presents anyway? And those holiday parties are vastly overrated. Kim was supposed to fly back to Korea early this week. Let's get this done. * The Orioles have expressed interest in Bronson Arroyo, according...

Right-hander Blake Treinen went from pitching in 15 games in 2014 to a career-high 60 games in 2015. But he was used in more specialty situations last season, as his innings total only went from 50 2/3 innings to 67 2/3 innings. It was the epitome of an up-and-down season for Treinen. In March and April, his ERA was 4.22. In May, he had a 3.00 ERA, allowing only five runs in 15 innings. In June, he reached a 4.38 ERA in 12-plus innings. In July, he allowed four earned runs in just three innings...

In many ways, 2015 was a lost season for Jayson Werth in the twilight of his 13-year career. The 36-year-old waited until January before undergoing AC joint surgery on his right shoulder, leaving him unavailable to participate in most of spring training and delaying his season debut until April 13. When Werth did return, his struggled mightily at the plate, batting just .208 with two homers, 12 RBIs and 25 strikeouts through his first 27 games. However, Werth was beginning to heat up at the...

No matter what the Orioles do with their rotation, whether it's tapping into the trade or free agent markets, they're highly dependent on bounceback seasons from Chris Tillman and Miguel Gonzalez and a major leap forward by Kevin Gausman. While meeting with reporters last weekend at FanFest, pitching coach Dave Wallace tried to explain the drop off in effectiveness from Tillman and Gonzalez. He tried to shed some light on why Tillman's ERA rose from 3.34 to 4.99 and his WHIP jumped from...

The Nationals selected Danny Espinosa as a slick-fielding shortstop out of Long Beach State University in the third round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft. By the time Espinosa made his major league debut in September 2010, Ian Desmond was already entrenched as the Nationals shortstop, a position he played for six seasons at a high level. But with Desmond leaving via free agency and veteran infielder Yunel Escobar traded to the Angels last week, it finally appears that Espinosa will get his...

While wondering if the Nationals will try to block Jonathan Papelbon from their spring training facility ... Michael Cuddyer is following me on Twitter. Is that just random or should I read anything into it? Hyun-soo Kim's two-year deal with the Orioles may become official later today, though it could take until Monday morning. The press conference that follows will offer the media a chance to learn more about the Korean outfielder and gauge whether his interpreter will be useful in the...

Hall of Fame ballots for the Baseball Writers' Association of America are in, and so the burning question between now and Jan. 6, when the results will be announced, is whether outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. will be the first player to be elected unanimously. Griffey, who played primarily for Seattle and Cincinnati, is in his first year of eligibility. There is no legitimate argument for not voting for Griffey. He's one of the best centerfielders of all-time. He was born in Denora, Pa., same...

At least for now, outfielder Junior Lake will stay in the American League East. The Blue Jays have claimed Lake off waivers from the Orioles, who designated him for assignment on Dec. 10. An Orioles official confirmed the transaction, which was reported by 670thescore.com. Lake appeared in eight games with the Orioles and went 3-for-22 with three doubles and two runs scored. He batted .224/.274/.345 in 21 games with the Cubs before the Orioles acquired him on July 31 for reliever Tommy...