Later this afternoon or evening, you might receive the honor of snapping the turkey's wishbone. So instead of wishing for world peace or winning Powerball, why not direct your holiday intentions toward the Nationals, who could use some help this offseason. Here are some ideas for the Nationals' wishes as you square off with your brother or sister in mom's kitchen with wishbone in hand. 1. Get rid of "Turkey of the Year" Jonathan Papelbon: Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said recently...

Happy Thanksgiving, Birdland! I hope everyone has a healthy and happy day today with family and friends. Hope it is your best turkey day yet. I've said it here dozens of times, but what is one more? I'm very thankful for the great O's community we have here, and the wonderful debates and discussions daily about the Orioles. I appreciate every reader every day. Thanks for being here! Just a short entry today. Feel free to discuss any O's topics, including the one or two mentioned here and...

Let's get a few things straight about L.J. Hoes. He prefers L.J. to LJ, so this blog entry actually is a period piece. He shops at a Walmart in Fort Lauderdale, which is where he heard the news yesterday that the Orioles traded for him. And he's not afraid to show his emotions in public. "I'm very excited," Hoes said after being obtained from the Astros for cash considerations. "I was actually grocery shopping when I found out and I almost dropped everything I had in my cart. I started...

No matter where I go, no matter what time of day or night, I'm challenged by friends and fans to place odds on the Orioles re-signing first baseman Chris Davis. When did I go from sportswriter to bookmaker? The best I can offer is this: The Orioles remain in the running for Davis. They aren't scared away by projections of six- and seven-year deals ranging from $144 million to $182 million. I wrote on Oct. 5 that managing partner Peter G. Angelos said it "remains his intention" to re-sign...

Happy Turkey Day, Nats Nation! Or, as I like to call it, Happy Stuffing Day! Beyond all of the food, there are so many different people and things for which I'm grateful, including my family, friends, job and - of course - the wonderful Nats fans who interact with us every day on social media, MASNsports.com and more. I know you may just be a few hours away from digging in, so without further ado, here's our #TBT moment of the week. We know there are few things you're more thankful for this...

Happy Thanksgiving, Birdland! I hope that your holiday is filled with turkey, mashed potatoes and - if you're like me - literally stuffing yourself with stuffing. I know you've got some pie to get to, so we'll get right to our #TBT moment of the week. It was a late May game, and Miguel Gonzalez was throwing a gem. He allowed just one earned run while striking out six over eight great innings. However, it was just a 1-1 game by the time he exited. In the bottom of the ninth, the Orioles had...

The Orioles today announced that they have acquired outfielder L.J. Hoes from the Houston Astros in exchange for cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, infielder Andy Wilkins has been designated for assignment. Hoes, 25, batted .295/.383/.400 with 24 doubles, three triples, three home runs, and 53 RBI in 99 games with Triple-A Fresno last season, including a .375/.447/.515 slash line in 136 at-bats against left-handed pitchers. In 777 career minor league games, he has hit...

The Orioles' interest in reacquiring outfielder L.J. Hoes became a reality today. The Orioles have completed a trade with the Astros, bringing back their former third-round pick in exchange for cash considerations. Hoes is out of options and his addition required the Orioles to remove a player from the 40-man roster, which they filled up on Monday by protecting pitchers Chris Lee, Andrew Triggs and Parker Bridwell. I'm told that they designated infielder Andy Wilkins for assignment. The...

It's the day before Thanksgiving, and in addition to dreaming about my turkey coma, I'm eagerly anticipating a full day (and then some) of Black Friday holiday shopping. Time was, in the pre-Internet days, when the only way to get the bargains was to drag your carcass out of bed at an ungodly hour on the day after the feast and high-tail it to the mall at dark o'thirty. You had a large cup of coffee in one hand and your credit card in the other. All the better to buy with, my dear. Nowadays,...

On Sept. 3, the Nationals were still in striking distance of the Mets for the division lead and the offense was finally clicking with Ryan Zimmerman in the midst of a red-hot streak. At that point, Zimmerman, who had played 34 fewer games than Bryce Harper, had driven in 71 runs, just eight behind the eventual National League MVP's team-leading 79 RBIs. Four days later, an oblique strain ended Zimmerman's season. "If I can stay on the field, I can be productive," Zimmerman said on MLB...