Orioles Hall of Fame member Stu Miller passed away Sunday, January 4, at his home in Cameron Park, Calif., after a brief illness. He was 87. Miller, a right-handed reliever throughout most of his 16 seasons in the major leagues, led the Orioles in saves from 1963-67 and was a member of the 1966 World Series Championship team. In his five seasons with the Orioles, Miller compiled a 38-36 record with a 2.37 ERA and 100 saves, leading the American League with 71 appearances and 27 saves in 1963,...

The Nationals' long search for a new, permanent spring training home moved a step closer to a positive resolution on Monday. The city of West Palm Beach, Fla., has agreed to begin negotiations on a swap 160 acres of land at 45th Street and Haverhill Road to Palm Beach County for 1.8 acres of county-owned land in West Palm Beach. That transaction, if completed, could lead to the construction of a two-team spring training facility that would be shared by the Nationals and Houston Astros. "If an...

Third baseman Manny Machado, recovering from surgery on his right knee, will be in Sarasota on the final day of the Orioles' minicamp on Jan. 14 to allow manager Buck Showalter and various staff and medical personnel to check his health and watch him work out. Machado had surgery on Aug. 27 to repair a partially torn ligament. He underwent a similar procedure on his left knee in 2013. The Orioles expect Machado to be ready for opening day. He's been working out in Sarasota, but he took time...

The overall numbers posted by Jerry Blevins during the 2014 season probably aren't to the 31-year-old left-hander's liking. After back-to-back seasons of posting an ERA at or below 3.15 and a WHIP under 1.075, Blevins saw his numbers inflated in 2014, as he pitched to a 4.87 ERA and 1.238 WHIP in 64 games spanning 57 1/3 innings. He did have some impressive peripheral numbers, however, seeing his home runs per nine innings get cut in half from where it stood the prior two seasons, and seeing...

The Orioles still want to add a left-handed hitting outfielder, reliever and catcher before opening day on April 6. Their shopping list is written out clearly. No smudges. What remains unclear to me is who's going to bat first in the lineup. Nick Markakis is gone, having signed a four-year, $44 million contract with the Braves. He was the Orioles' leadoff hitter in 148 games last season. Now what? I never received a clear answer when I asked executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager...

Checking in on a few Orioles and baseball topics this morning: Hank Peters' passing: The Orioles lost a treasured family member and team Hall of Famer Sunday when former general manager Hank Peters died Sunday morning. The O's GM from 1975-87, Peters built the Orioles' last World Series-winning team in 1983. A few times over the years, I had a chance to meet Mr. Peters and found him to be every bit the gentleman everyone said he was. What a polite and nice man, who managed to stay that way...

"I am saddened to learn of the passing of Hank Peters, and on behalf of the Orioles organization, I extend my condolences to his daughter Sharon, his son Steve, and his entire family. Hank was highly regarded throughout baseball as a man of integrity and great character. He was an integral part of the Orioles' winning tradition, including 10 consecutive winning seasons from 1976 to 1985 and the club's third World Series championship in 1983. His impact was felt by multiple organizations...

Hank Peters, the architect of the Orioles' last world championship team in 1983, died this morning of complications from a recent stroke. He was 90. Peters was the Orioles' general manager from 1975 through 1987, and the club won two American League championships on his watch, in 1979 and 1983, and beat the Philadelphia Phillies in five games in 1983 to win the club's third World Series title. He was named Sporting News Major League Baseball Executive of the Year for 1983. Peters also won...

Blake Treinen was quite valuable in 2014 as the Nationals' sixth starter, the guy they called upon when one of their starting five landed on the disabled list or when they needed a spot start in a doubleheader. In his first taste of the big leagues, Treinen impressed, posting a 3.00 ERA in his seven starts. He had trouble his third time through the order, but was still effective with his mid- to upper-90s sinker and mix of a changeup and breaking ball. But when the Nationals needed Treinen's...

While the Orioles apparently still rate Colby Rasmus as their likeliest choice among available left-handed hitting outfielders, they haven't eliminated two others from the discussion. They maintain a lower level of interest in free agent Nori Aoki and have engaged in trade talks with the Dodgers regarding Andre Ethier, according to an industry source. Earlier this winter, the Orioles checked on Matt Kemp but decided against pursuing him due to his contract and health issues, and the Dodgers'...