I'm not going to lie - the pictures of Nationals Park with a hockey rink smack dab in the middle of the field both look very bizarre and also have me very excited for the NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day. I won't be attending the game between the Capitals and Blackhawks, largely because I plan on enjoying the afternoon from the warmth and comfort of my couch instead of sitting through a game in which temperatures will be in the upper 30s. But it will be cool to see the NHL's premiere...

The Orioles have been viewed as the favorites to host the 2016 All-Star Game, but I'm told that it's not going to happen. The club hasn't been officially notified, but a source says it won't be played at Camden Yards. The Orioles last hosted the All-Star Game in 1993, one year after the ballpark opened. The 2015 All-Star Game will be played in Cincinnati, and the Nationals are expected to host it in 2017. The leagues traditionally alternate hosting it and Baltimore was deemed the most...

When it comes to Orioles catcher Matt Wieters, there are more questions than answers right now. Will he make a complete recovery from Tommy John surgery? Can he be ready by opening day? Will the solid offense he showed last year carry over? Will he be an Oriole beyond 2015? Will he even make it as an Oriole through the season or could he be an in-season trade candidate? Here are Wieters' numbers the last few seasons: 2011: He hit .262 with 22 homers, 68 RBIs and had a .450 slugging percentage...

Sammy Solis, Felipe Rivero and Hector Silvestre are the three left-handers on the Baseball America top 30 of list Nationals prospects. Matt Purke remains on the depth chart. Baseball America editor-in-chief John Manuel says Solis has been able to have a little more time to develop thanks to the pitching in front of him. This is an important season for Solis, who made only five starts last season and threw just 18 1/3 innings. He was shut down in June last season with elbow discomfort. "Sammy...

Last year right around this time, the Nationals were penciling in the newly signed Nate McLouth as their fourth outfielder, confident that he would be able to play all three outfield positions at a high level and give Jayson Werth, Denard Span and Bryce Harper somewhat regular days off in order to keep those three fresh. The Nats inked McLouth to a two-year, $10.75 million contract last December - a hefty sum for a reserve, but a deal that the club felt would pay off thanks to McLouth's...

Throughout the Winter Meetings and the days that followed, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette stated that the club was more likely to sign a free agent than make a trade. The Orioles reached agreement with left-hander Wesley Wright and outfielder Delmon Young on one-year deals, taking two free agents off the market, but their next move could come via trade. How else are they going to get that left-handed outfielder/designated hitter unless their interest in Nori Aoki...

Right now it appears the Orioles starting corner outfielders are Alejandro De Aza and Steve Pearce. David Lough could work his way into the mix. Maybe at some point during the season Dariel Alvarez or Henry Urrutia find their way to the team. Chris Davis is a long-shot candidate to play right field. The O's have Pearce and Christian Walker who could play at first if Davis somehow wound up an outfielder. I still see a fit for free agent Nori Aoki although the Orioles interest seems to be...

I wasn't necessarily surprised at the fan reaction on Twitter and in the comments section of this blog yesterday after the Nationals signed Dan Uggla to a minor league deal. Nats fans have seen quite a bit of Uggla over the last handful of years while he was with the Braves. And most of it hasn't been great. They saw him go from a Silver Slugger 2010 campaign with the Marlins in which he hit .287 with an .877 OPS and 33 homers, to a 2011 season with the Braves in which he still slugged 36...

The Orioles have been quiet since reaching agreement Wednesday with outfielder Delmon Young on a one-year deal. The warehouse is closed, though executive vice president Dan Duquette remains open for business if anyone wants to talk. The wrapping paper is still scattered under the tree, but the Orioles received an early present on Oct. 9 when shortstop J.J. Hardy signed a three-year, $40 million extension with a club option for 2018. Hardy could have gotten a bigger deal on the free agent...

A few news and notes from around the baseball world: * If reports are accurate that pitcher Hiroki Kuroda is heading back to Japan to pitch at age 40 next year, the Orioles will not be sorry to see him go. Kuroda went 38-33 with an ERA of 3.44 the last three seasons for the Yankees. He went 11-9 with a 3.71 ERA last year with a 1.14 WHIP and just 1.6 walks per every nine innings. That is solid pitching at any age. Against the Orioles, while Kuroda was just 3-3 in 11 career starts, he posted...