Torii Hunter is no longer a free agent consideration for the Orioles. Hunter has agreed to a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Twins, according to multiple reports. He's returning to his original team. Hunter spent 11 seasons in Minnesota and included the Twins over the weekend among the clubs that could sign him this winter. However, he appeared to place them below the Orioles, Rangers and Mariners. The preference to play for a contender seemed to elevate the Orioles and Hunter had...

Nelson Cruz is gone and Nick Markakis may be the next to go. But one outfielder that we know will be a part of the 2015 Orioles is center fielder Adam Jones. He remains among the best Orioles and one of the top center fielders in the game. While Jones is a lightning rod for criticism and drives some fans crazy when he chases pitches, he filled up the stat sheet again in 2014. Jones batted .281 with 30 doubles, 29 homers, 96 RBIs and 88 runs. He was voted a starter in the All-Star Game for the...

The Orioles today announced that they have tendered contracts to all 11 arbitration-eligible players: catcher Matt Wieters; infielders Chris Davis, Ryan Flaherty and Steve Pearce; outfielder Alejandrop De Aza; right-handers Miguel Gonzalez, Tommy Hunter, Bud Norris and Chris Tillman; and left-handers Zach Britton and Brian Matusz. Wieters, 28, batted .308/.339/.500 in 26 games in 2014. Davis, 28, batted .196/.300/.404 with 26 home runs and 72 RBI in 127 games. Flaherty, 28, batted...

The Orioles have tendered contracts to all 11 of their arbitration-eligible players, with confirmation coming this evening via the team. The group includes first-timers Chris Tillman ($546,000 in 2014), Zach Britton ($521,500), Miguel Gonzalez ($529,000) and Ryan Flaherty ($513,000). The Orioles already were bracing for significant raises due to the three pitchers. Matt Wieters, Chris Davis, Steve Pearce, Alejandro De Aza, Tommy Hunter and Bud Norris are entering their final year under team...

The Nationals announced today that they have tendered contracts to all 10 of their remaining arbitration-eligible players - left-handers Jerry Blevins and Ross Detwiler, right-handers Tyler Clippard, Doug Fister, Craig Stammen, Drew Storen and Stephen Strasburg, infielder Danny Espinosa and catchers Jose Lobaton and Wilson Ramos. This means that, at least for now, all 10 of those players will remain under the Nationals' control. It is still possible, however, for these players to be traded...

The Orioles aren't expected to take their decisions on their arbitration-eligible players down to the midnight deadline tonight as they did in 2013. Executive vice president Dan Duquette said he's hoping to "bring this to closure by the end of the business day." Meanwhile, it's OK to keep speculating that all 11 players will be tendered contracts for next season. Trade discussions always heat up on the final day, but the Orioles don't seem as likely to make a move. They dealt closer Jim...

Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette has been named Baseball America's 2014 Executive of the Year. The Orioles were the 2014 American League East champions and advanced to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 1997. Baltimore's 96-66 record was tied for second-best in the majors in 2014 and the club's best single-season mark since 1997, when they went 98-64. Duquette is the first Oriole to be recognized with the award, which has...

While executive vice president Dan Duquette works toward putting together a roster for the 2015 season, he continues to be rewarded for his work this year. Baseball America has named Duquette as its Major League Executive of the Year. The Sporting News honored him last month during the general managers' meetings. One day after Nelson Cruz agreed to terms on a four-year, $57 million contract with the Mariners, Duquette is rewarded in part for signing the outfielder to a one-year, $8 million...

Outside of the money and four-year contract, Nelson Cruz's signing with the Seattle Mariners is puzzling from a baseball standpoint. As an Oriole, he would have been hitting in more a power-friendly ballpark in Camden Yards. And for a 35-year-old player, that's important. With guys like Adam Jones, J.J. Hardy, Chris Davis and possibly Nick Markakis, Cruz would have had a better chance to lead the American League in home runs for a second consecutive season. And the Orioles have a better...

The latest deadline in the offseason schedule comes at midnight, when all 30 major league teams must decide whether to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players. That means throughout the day, we'll have plenty of news popping up on teams who have offered contracts to players, reached terms with others and cut some loose, allowing them to become free agents. The Nationals had 11 (and possibly 12 - more on that in a minute) players eligible for arbitration entering this...