The Nationals officially announced this afternoon that right-handed reliever Casey Janssen has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2016. The deal had previously been reported and confirmed last Wednesday, and is worth $5 million. "We are happy to add Casey Janssen to our stable of relief arms," general manager Mike Rizzo said in a statement. "We're excited about what he will bring to our bullpen ' on the mound, as one of the most effective and consistent...

I'm a huge fan of sarcasm unless it's coming from my doctor, and Orioles reliever Darren O'Day brought it strong at Saturday's FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center. Meeting with the media behind the main stage, O'Day was asked what ran through his mind during the week that the Orioles lost free agents Nelson Cruz, Nick Markakis and Andrew Miller to free agency and reports surfaced in early December that the Blue Jays were courting executive vice president Dan Duquette. "How are we...

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper had a tremendous Super Bowl week. Harper rubbed elbows with some big names in the sports and entertainment world over the weekend and chronicled many of the moments on his Instagram account. Bryan Harper, a Nationals farmhand, accompanied his brother throughout his desert odyssey. Bryce Harper's week in Arizona began at Nationals manager Matt Williams' house for the Big Game, Big Give fundraiser on Saturday night. Williams, who played six years for the...

It was a spectacular defensive play by New England rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler that secured the Lombardi Trophy for the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX. On the other side, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is dealing with second-guessing from the media and others for not giving punishing running back Marshawn Lynch the ball at the 1-yard line as the game clock was winding down. So the NFL season ends with coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady winning the Patriots' fourth...

There is always something special about seeing the sport of baseball produce a smile on a kid's face. We saw that in abundance on Saturday during the latest edition of Orioles FanFest. I was asked to help moderate two kids press conferences with players. I would call this a hidden gem of FanFest. At least it was hidden to me (my bad for that) until Saturday. Presented by MASN, the press conferences were great fun and very well-attended. The kids got their own press passes and then lined up...

One of the lasting images for me at FanFest on Saturday was first baseman Chris Davis sporting his usual winter beard and a smile that hadn't been seen by reporters in almost five months. We also hadn't heard from him since the Game 4 loss to the Royals in the American League Championship Series, when he politely declined comment. He sat silently on a couch as we filed in, staring at one of the televisions, and later hugged a few teammates before heading for the exit. That was it. Davis was...

Right-hander Kevin Gausman, who turned 24 on Jan. 6, is about to start his fourth season in pro ball. It will be his third year spending at least part of the season in the big leagues. Will it be the first season that he is no longer on the shuttle from Triple-A Norfolk to Baltimore? In 2013, Gausman had three separate major league stints. In 2014, he had six stints in the big leagues, including three that lasted two days or less. Maybe he will start the season in the majors and stay with the...

We've flipped the page on the calendar and the Orioles need to pick up the pace and get closer Zach Britton signed for the 2015 season. A hearing will take place later this month if the sides don't reach agreement. Britton submitted at $4.2 million and the Orioles countered at $2.2 million. He made $521,500 last season. Asked at FanFest if he had any updates, Britton replied, "No. We're still in the negotiation process. We have some time up until the hearing. We're just in the process. Not...

Fans are filing out of the Baltimore Convention Center, marking the end of another FanFest. The attendance exceeded 16,000 despite all the griping about how the Orioles aren't trying to improve following their division title and that they're likely to finish in last place. Maybe folks were just trying to get warm. Orioles catcher Matt Wieters remains optimistic that he'll be ready on opening day. So far so good. However, he won't really know until he starts playing in exhibition...

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones talked to reporters for about six minutes today, enough time to comment on predictions that the club will finish in last place, free agent losses and the Dan Duquette saga. Here's a sampling: On being picked to finish last: "Cool. Weren't we supposed to finish last the last 4-5 years? Keep it that way. I think we like that. It's not bothering me. I know we've had a slow offseason due to (Nick) Markakis' departure, (Nelson) Cruz's departure, (Andrew)...