To start off this week's edition of Out of the Park, I first want to give thanks to the Winter Meetings last week for taking on the majority of the social media buzz. Although it was mostly just rumors, they took up most of your attention on the Twittersphere, blogosphere or whatever sphere you prefer. That being said, let's get to what some Orioles were doing this week with the holidays among us. MASN's Jim Palmer was celebrating this week, but it was wife Susan's birthday instead of a...

The Orioles' deal with Korean outfielder Hyun Soo Kim became official today after he passed a physical and signed his new contract. We finally have Kim closure. Kim will receive $7 million divided evenly over the next two seasons as the latest international signing under executive vice president Dan Duquette. The Orioles wanted to introduce Kim to the media in a press conference at Camden Yards, but it's too late with the holidays upon us. He's going back to Korea, where he's getting...

Obviously, there was a lot happening on social media last week with the Winter Meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, however much of it was just hearsay. Those posts were mostly focused on what was happening (or could happen) on the field. This being our third edition of Out of the Park, you know by now we are more concerned with what is going on with the Nationals off the diamond, and this week didn't disappoint. You knew it was going to be a big week...

The Nationals reportedly have agreed on a deal with the Reds to acquire veteran second baseman Brandon Phillips, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. As a player with 10 years of major league service and five consecutive with the same club, Phillips must waive his full no-trade protection to approve the move for the Nationals. It's unclear what the Nationals are returning to Cincinnati in the trade. Late Thursday night, Phillips tweeted "513 to 202" with an airplane emoji. 513 is...

Outfielder Hyun-soo Kim is scheduled to complete his physical this morning and the Orioles could announce his signing later today. As usual, it depends on how quickly they gather the results. But there don't appear to be any glitches or concerns up to this point. The process shouldn't drag out as it did for reliever Darren O'Day, who attended a press conference eight days after agreeing to terms. The Orioles' pursuit of another left-handed bat keeps bringing them back to first baseman Chris...

Outfielder Matt den Dekker ended the 2015 season on a hot streak at the plate. In the last 26 games (eight starts) he played in September and October, den Dekker hit .298 with five doubles, three homers and seven RBIs. He ended up playing a career high 55 games in 2015, and hit .253 for the season with a career-high OPS of .800. "Personally, for me, I felt good about the end of the season," den Dekker said at Winterfest. "I finished strong, got comfortable in my role I was in, so just...

As the free agent market opened for business following the World Series, left-hander Wei-Yin Chen was projected by various outlets to land a contract covering a minimum of four years. The Orioles never were considered serious players for him, in large part because they figured he could squeeze a fifth year out of a team. I've heard that Chen's representative, Scott Boras, is seeking a five-year contract totaling $100 million. Check some of the other deals for starting pitchers this winter and...

While Nationals fans are anxiously anticipating the time when Trea Turner becomes an everyday major leaguer, they got a taste of Turner in the bigs last season when he was called up in late August. His speed and defensive abilities were immediately showcased when he took the field. But it took a little while before fans saw his pop. On Sept. 29, he tied the game up with a huge home run at Turner Field (appropriate!) Bob Carpenter had the call: "And Turner, he does turn on one. High in the air...

Jonathan Papelbon's short stay in Washington hasn't been peaceful. An unwelcoming entrance preceded a disastrous dugout brawl with Bryce Harper leading to a season-ending team-imposed suspension. Now Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo is working to clear the embarrassment and start fresh in 2016. But it's not so easy with Papelbon who brings a limited no-trade clause to the table. Let's start with the positive. ESPN obtained the list of teams Rizzo can deal Papelbon to without his...

Welcome back to our #TBT posts, and welcome back, Darren O'Day! This week, the Orioles held a press conference to announce the re-signing of the veteran reliever. After pitching to a 1.52 ERA in 2015, O'Day agreed to a four-year, $31 million deal with the O's. In welcoming back the sidearmer, we're bringing back one of his signature moments from last season. The Orioles had a 5-2 lead when O'Day came into the game in the eighth inning against the Red Sox. He then went on to record to a...