The Orioles will be looking to replace the offensive production of Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis this season after both players left the club via free agency. In both cases, it appears that it will not be one individual player that attempts to duplicate their offensive production, but several that get the chance. Last season, Cruz took 37 percent of the at-bats by O's left fielders and 59 percent of the at-bats at designated hitter. Markakis took 91 percent of the at-bats by O's right...

In the past, players like outfielders Bryce Harper and Brian Goodwin bypassed Single-A Potomac because there were some questions about the field conditions at Pfitzner Stadium below average. But the Potomac Nationals have coordinated with the Washington Nationals to improve the field conditions in Woodbridge, Va. The field has been in a good shape for a few seasons now. Those two players skipped a level more because they were deemed ready for Double-A competition instead of inadequate...

We've been well aware of the herculean power Bryce Harper possesses since his high school days. We've witnessed the violent bat speed that's produced some enormous home runs. On Saturday, Harper took to the golf links to display some of that power, while also doing his best Happy Gilmore impersonation. He showed the video on his Instagram account: 340 yards! Why not? What's up Happy Gilmore #leftygolf @aaronkurcz @chasenshreve61 @bryanharper45 @sportscenter @ionmellc @underarmour...

While addressing Nationals season ticket holders at a hot stove event on Saturday, general manager Mike Rizzo made some news by saying that Danny Espinosa would only hit from the right side in 2015, according to blog posts and Twitter comments from some of the fans in attendance. The discussion for Espinosa to give up switch-hitting, and focus completely on batting right-handed, has been debated for a few years within the organization. Espinosa is one of the most stubborn players on the Nats,...

It is time again to survey Birdland on a variety of Orioles topics. It is time for another edition of "10 questions for O's fans." If you've been keeping up, we've done this once every month this offseason, but I somehow let January get by without doing so. My brain must have been impacted by the cold. Or I was distracted by the Dan Duquette rumors. Or I was trying to figure out if you can deflate a baseball. I don't know, it could have been all of the above. Anyway, if you are somewhat...

The Orioles re-signed outfielder Julio Borbon to a minor league deal after selecting him from the Cubs organization in the Triple-A phase of the 2013 Rule 5 draft. Borbon batted .288/.342/.356 with 9 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 44 RBIs and 34 stolen bases in 124 games at Triple-A Norfolk. He never made it to Camden Yards. Former executive and current MLB Network Radio analyst Jim Duquette, appearing yesterday on "Wall to Wall Baseball" on MASN, said the Orioles kicked the tires...

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette told me yesterday that he's still working on the spring training roster with manager Buck Showalter. The club is expected to add at least one more player to a minor league deal before heading south. Former hitting coach Jim Presley remains under contract with the Orioles after being reassigned following the 2014 season, but it hasn't been determined whether he's going to work for them in some capacity. There were early talks of giving him a...

It's been almost three weeks since Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo stunned the baseball world by signing free agent pitcher Max Scherzer to a seven-year, $210 million contract. On Friday, a candid Scherzer spoke on Detroit's WDFN radio about what led to his choice to leave the motor city for the nation's capital to become the game's highest paid right-handed pitcher. "I realize how fortunate I am and how blessed I am to be in this position," Scherzer told WDFN. "This was never about...

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed today that the club is headed to an arbitration hearing with outfielder Alejandro De Aza on Feb. 20 in St. Petersburg, Fla. The sides exchanged figures last month, at which point the Orioles decided to "file to go" rather than make a serious attempt to negotiate a settlement. De Aza submitted $5.65 million and the Orioles countered at $5 million. He made $4.25 million last season. I've heard that talks were limited despite a modest...

Earlier, we took a look at the top 10 prospects in the Orioles farm system and today we expand that to look at a list of the club's top 30 prospects according to Baseball America. You can find it all in the publication's Prospect Handbook. A review of the top 10: 1. Dylan Bundy 2. Hunter Harvey 3. Christian Walker 4. Chance Sisco 5. Dariel Alvarez 6. Zach Davies 7. Tim Berry 8. Mike Wright 9. Mike Yastrzemski 10. Jomar Reyes Now a look at the rest of the list with notes on each...