The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with left-hander Zach Britton on a one-year contract, thus avoiding arbitration. Britton, 27, went 3-2 with a 1.65 ERA (76.1IP, 14ER) and a career-high 37 saves after pitching exclusively in relief for the first time in his career. He finished the season ranked fourth among AL relievers in saves and became the 10th different Oriole to record a 30-save season in club history. Over 119 games (46 starts) in the majors, Britton is 21-19...

New Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred was in the nation's capital on Wednesday to visit with kids during a tour of the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy. While posing for a picture, one of the youngsters asked Manfred which major league team was his favorite. Manfred, not wanting to name a team for obvious political reasons, opted for what he thought was a safer answer. "The first game I ever went to was a Yankees game," said Manfred. The kids, mostly from D.C.'s Wards 7 and 8,...

If you are a young player and you get selected in the Rule 5 draft, there are worse teams to be selected by than the Orioles. It didn't take long for 24-year-old right-hander Logan Verrett to realize that after the Orioles selected him with the 13th of 14 picks made in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft. "I was ecstatic to find out their history of keeping Rule 5 picks," Verrett said Saturday at FanFest. "After I found that out, I realized I couldn't have been with a better...

The Orioles have reached agreement on a 2015 contract with closer Zach Britton, according to a source, leaving them with only one unsigned player as spring training approaches. Britton will receive $3.2 million guaranteed and he could earn another $300,000 in incentives based on games finished. He submitted $4.2 million when the sides exchanged figures last month and the Orioles countered at $2.2 million. He made $521,500 last season. Notice how these things usually are resolved at the...

New Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred got an extensive tour of the Nationals Youth baseball Academy in southeast Washington on Wednesday and came away from the visit very impressed with its progress. "I'm always happy to be in Washington. Obviously, Washington is always a special market for us, the nation's capital," he said. "I appreciate the Nationals hosting me today. The visit here is really important to me. One of the things I hope to accomplish during my time as...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter has stated on multiple occasions this winter that right-hander Dylan Bundy will be treated like everyone else at spring training. The top pitching prospect in the system won't be brought along slowly or placed in a separate group. He's completely healthy. The governor is off, as Showalter likes to say. Pitching coach Dave Wallace is eager to get a better look at Bundy, 22, who underwent ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow on June 27, 2013. "I...

How far have the Phillies fallen? So far that a Pennsylvania radio station has decided to drop them from its airwaves to start broadcasting Nationals games. That's right. Sports Radio 96.5 FM in Harrisburg, Pa., is kicking the Phillie Phanatic to the curb and making way for Teddy and the boys. Ron Giovanniello, regional vice president of Cumulus Media Pennsylvania, confirmed the move to The Patriot-News. "Our agreement was up and we made the decision last week to part ways with the Phillies...

Considering that the Orioles began the offseason with 11 players who were eligible for arbitration, they should view it as a victory that they've shaved the list to two. Only Zach Britton and Alejandro De Aza remain unsigned as spring training approaches. Everyone gets a raise, which is sort of like every kid getting a trophy. The Orioles' payroll has increased again this year despite the absence of a big-ticket item in their free agent shopping cart. Reliever Tommy Hunter got the ball...

Sometimes when a minor league player is traded, it doesn't make big news. It might not be mentioned very much on MLB Network or ESPN and to some fans may just be a line or two in the transactions list. But we should never forget those are players whose lives have been changed by those deals. Like the rest of us, they develop close friendships in the workplace and have mixed emotions when change comes their way. Take Michael Ohlman, for instance. He was drafted by the Orioles in the 11th round...

The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with right-hander Miguel Gonzalez on a one-year contract, thus avoiding arbitration. Gonzalez, 30, was 10-9 with a 3.23 ERA (159.0IP, 57ER) in 27 games (26 starts) in 2014, the lowest ERA of his three-year career. He surrendered three earned runs or fewer in 23 of his 26 starts and went 5-2 with a 2.78 ERA (71.1IP, 22ER) in 12 starts against the AL East. The Orioles now have two arbitration eligible players: left-hande Zach Britton...