Breathe, Birdland. We're one week closer to the start of spring training. If you are suffering from Orioles withdrawal, we may have a cure: Five "Orioles Classics" on MASN HD this week. We have a variety of games, including three from the past two seasons, one from 2007 and one from 1992. Here's what's on deck: Monday, Jan. 19, 2 p.m. and 11 p.m.: We have two 2014 games for you to watch today. First, you don't want to miss the Orioles' 60th anniversary game from Aug. 8. After the game,...

We're just 31 days from the start of spring training. If you ask me, it can't come soon enough. To fill your baseball void, we have three "Nationals Classics" this week on MASN HD. We kick things off with everyone's favorite fictional holiday, "Clinchmas." Here's what's on deck this week: Monday, Jan. 19, 7 p.m.: Enjoy today's holiday by reliving another one - Clinchmas. That's right, today you can enjoy the Nationals' clinching of the National League East in Atlanta this past Sept....

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, the Nationals had eight arbitration-eligible players with whom they still needed to finalize contracts for the 2015 season. As of this morning, that number is down to four. As my colleague Pete Kerzel noted last night, catchers Wilson Ramos and Jose Lobaton, right-hander Craig Stammen and second baseman Danny Espinosa all have agreed to terms on deals for 2015, avoiding arbitration. This leaves just right-handers Stephen Strasburg, Doug Fister and Drew Storen and...

The Nationals have been busy heading into Friday's deadline for arbitration-eligible players to come to contract terms before exchanging salary figures with their clubs. Earlier today, they announced that catcher Wilson Ramos had agreed to terms on a contract for 2015, avoiding arbitration. This evening, right-handed reliever Craig Stammen also came to terms, leaving the Nats with six unsigned players who are arbitration-eligible (the Nats removed one of their players on the list by trading...

As we continue to wonder if the Orioles will add an outfielder and just who that may be, another interesting question is which player will be the club's leadoff hitter now that Nick Markakis is a Brave. The odds-on favorite is probably Alejandro De Aza, the likely starter in left field. That is unless manager Buck Showalter has a surprise in store for us or plans to do something unconventional in that spot. While Markakis served as the Orioles' leadoff hitter 148 times last year, De Aza...

We've reached the point today where arbitration-eligible players and their teams exchange salary figures for 2015 and hope to avoid a hearing next month. You know the dance. They usually split the difference. It's only interesting to me if there's a huge discrepancy. Wake me if the Orioles offer Ryan Flaherty $1 million and he counters at $200 million. Reliever Tommy Hunter settled for $4.65 million earlier this week, leaving 10 Orioles who are eligible for arbitration. Here's another look...

The Orioles knew last month that they wouldn't host the 2016 All-Star Game. It became official today at the conclusion of Major League Baseball's quarterly owners meetings. Commissioner Bud Selig announced that San Diego will host the Mid-Summer Classic despite insisting last year that he wanted to continue alternating leagues. The Reds will host the 2015 All-Star Game. The National League could make it three in a row, with the Nationals a possible host in 2017. I've heard that they're...

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo's reasoning for trading reliable reliever Tyler Clippard to the A's on Wednesday night for infielder Yunel Escobar was simple: The deal, made from a position of relative strength and involving a player who would be a free agent after 2015, fills an immediate need at second base with a veteran that the Nationals can control for up to three seasons. "It was a good baseball deal between Oakland and us," Rizzo said Thursday afternoon during a conference call...

This week, there's been a lot of buzz surrounding Manny Machado's appearance at the Orioles' minicamp. After season-ending surgery in 2014, the third baseman explained that he's itching to get back out there. In just 82 games this season, Machado reminded fans about his flashy, award-winning defense. He also reminded Albert Pujols ... twice. In the second game of the Birds' home series against the Angels, Pujols hit a grounder down the third base line. Gary Thorne's play-by-play call says...

Last night, the Nationals traded Tyler Clippard to the A's for Yunel Escobar, ending the set-up man's seven-year stint in D.C. This week's Throwback Thursday takes a look back at one of Clippard's shutdown performances from 2014. With a one-run lead, Clippard came on in the eighth inning to face a lethal Brewers lineup. He struck out the side, taking care of Jonathan Lucroy, Khris Davis and Mark Reynolds, and received a standing ovation as he strolled to the dugout. As we all know, this was...