The Nationals announced this afternoon that they agreed to terms on minor league contracts with invitations to MLB spring training with left-hander Sean Burnett and outfielder Reed Johnson. Burnett didn't pitch in 2015 after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery. Elbow injuries interfered with his previous two seasons in Anaheim where Burnett only made 16 appearances with a 1.74 ERA. Before that, Burnett spent four years with the Nationals from 2009-2012, going 8-15 with a 2.81 ERA in 245...

Catcher Spencer Kieboom had two homers this season for high Single-A Potomac. He now has two homers in Arizona Fall League play after cranking a three-run shot in the first inning Friday night. Salt River dropped Surprise 5-3. He also crushed three-run homer Oct. 27 in a 9-4 win over Scottsdale. Kieboom is hitting .257 and has a .395 on-base percentage in his last 10 games with two homers, seven RBIs and seven free passes. Right-hander Dakota Bacus has a 1.29 ERA in seven appearances with one...

Two weeks ago, when Dusty Baker was hired as Nationals manager, he talked about the special significance of taking the job in the nation's capital. "You know something? That was a factor, too," Baker told NBC4's Carol Maloney. "I said, 'Wouldn't that be ironic to win in Washington, during the president's last term?' Because I was here during the inauguration, when it was like, freezing. Oh, man, it was cold. So now, yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing him again." Sure, Baker...

The Baseball Writers' Association of America begins announcing its award winners tonight with Rookie of the Year in both leagues. I can't reveal my AL ballot until later this evening. Spoiler alert: The Orioles weren't represented. The finalists are Houston's Carlos Correa, Cleveland's Francisco Lindor and Minnesota's Miguel Sano. Keep in mind that ballots were turned in before the playoffs. Six Orioles have been chosen as Rookie of the Year. Can you name them without looking it up?...

One look at the Orioles' projected payroll for next year leads me to this conclusion: To get what they need to get done, the payroll very likely will have to increase in 2016. The Orioles have four players with salaries locked in for the 2016 season: * $16.3 million - Adam Jones * $15.8 million - Matt Wieters * $13.0 million - Ubaldo Jimenez * $12.5 million - J.J. Hardy They have 11 arbitration-eligible players and their salaries for 2016 were projected by MLBTradeRumors.com recently: * $6.9...

One of the Nationals' major deficiencies last season was the lack of a consistent offensive presence at the top of their lineup. Multiple injuries limited Denard Span, their normal table setter, to only 61 games before his season ended in late August. In Span's absence, former manager Matt Williams scrambled to find a leadoff man, using rookie Michael A. Taylor, Jayson Werth, Yunel Escobar and Anthony Rendon. With Span hitting the free agent market last week and unlikely to return to...

About a week ago, I wrote about Double-A Bowie hitting coach Keith Bodie and how he fit in very well in his first season in the Orioles organization in 2015. Bodie has had a long and strong career in pro ball. During my visit with Bodie, we talked about a few Bowie hitters during the Eastern League playoffs. To no surprise, Bodie is pretty high on first baseman Trey Mancini. "I've been around a lot of good and special players and what he has done this year is very special," Bodie said. "He...

In case you lost count, the Orioles are in the market for two outfielders this winter. Not just one. They would like to re-sign Gerardo Parra and plug him into right field, but it naturally depends on how many years and dollars he can milk from the market. Here's a thought: What about Nick Markakis? His name came up yesterday during the "Wall to Wall Baseball" show on MASN and it made for a fun debate. It isn't unanimous, but there are people in the organization with interest in at least...

Dusty Baker's work continues to fill out his coaching staff with a few important openings remaining. Shortly after the Nationals hired Baker as manager on Nov. 3, the team announced Mike Maddux as new pitching coach and baserunning expert Davey Lopes as new first base coach. On Friday, Baker was asked on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio about other coaches he plans to add to his staff in Washington. "I really can't let the cat out of bag," Baker joked with hosts Casey Stern and Jim Bowden....

As soon as word leaked that catcher Matt Wieters accepted the Orioles' qualifying offer, fans wondered how it impacted Caleb Joseph and how he would react to it. Bitter? Concerned about his status on the roster? Worried about losing at-bats? Try none of the above. The same guy who appeared in 100 games this year and caught in 94 was thrilled to find out that Wieters would return in 2016. "I've been in touch with Matt here and there," Joseph said. "I didn't want to infringe on his...