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'...

Having reached agreement with Delmon Young on a one-year deal on Christmas Eve, the Orioles still need the outfielder to take his physical before they can make it official. The Orioles knew that the physical wouldn't get done before Jan. 1. I was told today that Young will take it on Wednesday in Baltimore. No rush, I suppose. Team officials are confident that Young's physical won't turn up anything that could nix the deal. It's pretty much a formality. Young is guaranteed $2.25 million and...

In building a winning baseball team, you need to have plenty of talented players. That part is obvious and a given. But how do aspects like team chemistry and character of the individual players factor in? Are they important, even if you can't put a stat on those intangibles like you can a batting average or ERA? When the Orioles acquired Nelson Cruz, who was coming off a suspension, and Delmon Young last year, some fans wondered how the pair would impact clubhouse chemistry. Now some wonder...

We've talked a lot this winter about the crop of pending free agents that the Nationals have and how it will be interesting to see how general manager Mike Rizzo proceeds with that group. When discussing the Nats' list of upcoming 2015 free agents, five names are usually listed - Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, Ian Desmond, Tyler Clippard and Denard Span. Pretty strong list there, one that contains five major contributors to this squad. But beyond those five, there are a few other players who...

This offseason is exciting as we look ahead to the potential of 20-year-old third baseman Drew Ward. He is a 6-foot-4, 210-lb. infielder from a town of about 440 in central Oklahoma. Ward hit 10 homers last year, after hitting one in 2013 for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Nationals, and added an impressive 73 RBIs. The 2013 third-rounder could be one of those future power bats the Nationals covet. After Steven Souza Jr. was traded and Tyler Moore is potentially in the big leagues for good, Matt...

With so much attention placed on the Orioles' attempts to craft their roster for the upcoming season, it's easy to forget that they need to give raises to their 11 arbitration-eligible players. Players can file for arbitration on Jan. 13, and the sides exchange salary figures three days later. Hearings take place between Feb. 1-21 if agreements aren't reached. Here's the list of the Orioles' 11 arbitration-eligible players with their salaries last season and MLBTradeRumors.com's...

If the Orioles do sign outfielder Colby Rasmus, in one sense, maybe he fits right in. He is a player that can deliver home runs while also striking out a lot. The O's have some players that do that. But one stat I read about Rasmus was rather surprising and it is how he fared last year in Isolated Power. In a writeup about Rasmus and his free agent outlook for this winter, MLBTradeRumors.com's profile included this excerpt: Despite seeing only 376 plate appearances in 2014, Rasmus...

Yesterday afternoon was a bit strange for me. Not only did I actually get a chance to sit in the seats at Nationals Park and watch a sporting event, but there was a hockey rink smack-dab in the middle of the field. Play ba ... wait, no. We'll have to wait a few more months for that. Yesterday's Winter Classic was a very enjoyable experience, largely because it was just such a cool thing to be a part of. The sight lines from my lower-level seat weren't great, and I'll admit that I had...