NASHVILLE - A year ago at the Winter Meetings in San Diego, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo dismissed the idea of signing Max Scherzer, the best free agent available. A little more than a month later, the Nationals inked the ace to a then-record $210 million contract for a right-hander. Speaking Monday afternoon in a room at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Rizzo echoed the same sentiments from last year. "We're not coming here looking for a front-line starting...

NASHVILLE - You may not agree with every move made by the Orioles, but you can't deny that they've been busier than the previous offseason. You also may find comfort in knowing that they're not done. They're determined to get a left-handed hitting outfielder via trade or free agency. They're determined to find another starting pitcher - a trade now seems more probable than a free-agent signing - and they continue to monitor the relief market despite retaining Darren O'Day. Another...

NASHVILLE - Day 1 of the Winter Meetings has come and gone after starting in a funny way. Once I was settled into the media room this morning, I received a text from my colleague Olivia Witherite saying she was lost in the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. 8:20 a.m. on the official Day 1 of #WinterMeetings and @Oliviawitherite is officially already lost in the Gaylord. Gonna be a fun week! -- Bobby Blanco (@Bobby_Blanco) December 7, 2015 Well, it was a funny morning for me at...

NASHVILLE - Day 1 of the Winter Meetings - and my energy - are fading fast. My day was kicked off with Steve Melewski's interview with MLB Network's Harold Reynolds and never slowed down. One latte all day, Olivia? A big mistake, but we'll try better tomorrow. The first day featured a lobby full of chatter and rumors. Buzz from earlier today. As you probably know, I'm a big emoji fan. 🐝⚾️ #WinterMeetings pic.twitter.com/IICFogEOYy -- OLIVIA witherite (@Oliviawitherite)...

While some publications have ranked the Orioles' minor league system among the worst in baseball, try running that line by someone in the team's scouting or player development departments. Or try running that by the man at the top of that food chain, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette. Some people - including some young players who also should not be overlooked - have put in time and effort to get better, and they feel the O's farm is better than some analysts believe. They point...

NASHVILLE - By now, most observers expected the Nationals to have gotten a lot futher in their bullpen makeover, perhaps swinging a trade for an eighth- or ninth-inning arm. But here we are, entering the second day of the Winter Meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, and the Nats have done nothing of significance. What's more, the once-promising plethora of shutdown relief arms has thinned out considerably in the past two days. Darren O'Day is apparently returning to...

NASHVILLE - The Orioles have their agreement with reliever Darren O'Day and it's indisputable. According to a source, O'Day will sign his four-year, $31 million deal after taking a physical later this week. The paperwork has been turned in and the back end of the Orioles' bullpen just got stronger. A few details had to be worked out before the agreement became official. Earlier today, executive vice president Dan Duquette said, "We're continuing to work on that Darren O'Day project....

NASHVILLE - After the first day of the Winter Meetings, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the team that made a big deal and created the biggest set of questions. The Dodgers lost starter Zack Greinke to Arizona and had arranged a trade for Cincinnati's lefty closer, Aroldis Chapman - until domestic abuse allegations surfaced Monday night, putting the deal in jeopardy. The Dodgers have gone from having the best one-two punch in the rotation - Clayton Kershaw and Greinke - to having the potentially...

NASHVILLE - For Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette, the first official day of the Winter Meetings produced an active day of talking to player agents and other teams in trade discussions - all of which he thinks could soon lead to additions for the Orioles. Duquette discussed this during a one-on-one video interview with MASNsports.com. "We did have a lot of talks," he said. "We're making some progress on adding to our pitching staff. I think we have a better idea where we can...

NASHVILLE - The Orioles appear confident that they will reach an official agreement with reliever Darren O'Day within the new few days. Executive vice president Dan Duquette said talks are "progressing" as the final details are hammered out and a physical is arranged. The Orioles intend to sign O'Day to a four-year deal worth $31 million, assuming that nothing has changed in that part of the agreement. Duquette was involved in a couple of trade talks today with teams willing to part with...