Anyone who followed the Nationals closely last season remembers that pretty much from Day One of spring training, manager Matt Williams said he was going to make sure that his team played an aggressive brand of ball, putting pressure on opponents with their baserunning style. That is indeed how things played out for the 2014 Nats. I came across a tweet yesterday from John Dewan, who is the author of the Fielding Bible. Dewan passed along a link that ranked the best baserunning teams in 2014,...

Former Nationals minor league first baseman Justin Bloxom has traded in his cleats and glove for an opportunity to find the top prospects in the country and sign them to the Nats. Bloxom has been hired by the Nationals to be their amateur scout for the Kentucky and Tennessee regions. The 26-year-old Bloxom played six seasons in the Nationals system, but realized the final couple of years that he would need to transition into a new line of work. As he searched for a new position, he knew that he...

SARASOTA, Fla. - My rental car is a maroon Camaro. My "suite" is so small, there's no floor or closet space for my suitcase and I need to step out of the room to change my mind. You take the good with the bad at Orioles minicamp. My interest level has increased with the news that Chris Tillman and Tommy Hunter are in Sarasota. Tillman was expected to meet with pitching coach Dave Wallace and bullpen coach Dom Chiti later this week in California. What does it say about Tillman and Hunter,...

Among the fun things about baseball are our constant speculation about the upcoming season, and our debates about how the team and certain individuals will do. Today it might be interesting to look at some O's team stats posted last year and get your takes on whether the club will go over or under that total in 2015? Will they be better or worse in certain stat categories? Feel free to express an opinion on some or all of these, but here are a few to take a look at and also listed is where the...

The Orioles today announced that they have signed free agent outfielder Delmon Young to a one-year contract. To make room on the 40-man roster, catcher Ryan Lavarnway has been designated for assignment. Young, 29, batted .302/.337/.442 with seven home runs and 30 RBI over 83 games with the Orioles in 2014, including a .316/.345/.481 slash line in 47 games at Oriole Park. He led the majors (min. 10 PA), batting .500 (10-20) as a pinch hitter. Originally selected by the Tampa Bay Rays with the...

Late Orioles Head Groundskeeper Pat Santarone has today been named one of the newest members of the Major League Baseball Groundskeepers Hall of Fame. Santarone joined the Orioles as Head Groundskeeper in 1969, spending 22 seasons tending the grounds at Memorial Stadium before retiring on Opening Day in 1991. During his tenure, Baltimore infielders won a total of 25 AL Gold Gloves, while the Orioles captured five American League pennants and won two World Series titles (1970, 1983). ...

In case you missed the news late yesterday afternoon, Jayson Werth will have surgery to repair the AC joint in his right shoulder today, a procedure that is expected to sideline the Nationals outfielder for two to three months. Werth will have the surgery at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn. The procedure, similar to the one Ryan Zimmerman underwent in October 2012, will force Werth to miss at least the first few weeks of spring training, and could leave his status for opening day in...

Jonathan Schoop is already a rare player in that he was a signed international amateur that made it all the way through the from the lowest levels of the Orioles' farm system to becoming a major league starter. Now the question is can he stay as a starter, and how will he do with even more seasoning and experience? Some fans were very understanding of the ups and downs Schoop had last year when he struggled at times playing at 22. Over 137 games and 455 at-bats, the native of Curacao hit .209...

The Orioles should make at least one announcement today. There figures to be some activity. Find a comfortable seat. The minicamp will provide a nice distraction from all the rumors and speculation that define the hot stove season. And it's sort of like watching baseball. Pitchers will throw on the side and players will take batting practice. Factor in the clubhouse interviews and daily sessions with manager Buck Showalter, and it's going to have a spring feel to it. Or maybe that's just the...

Outfielder Delmon Young reached agreement on his one-year deal on Dec. 24. He completed most of his physical yesterday and just needed his bloodwork done today. However, we still don't have an announcement from the Orioles and it may not come until Friday. The last time that I checked, the Orioles still were waiting to hear back from the doctors. They also were working to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. It's possible that the deal will be made official later tonight, but you reach a point...