Has everyone moved on from the Nelson Cruz news? Has the depression subsided? No more Cruz blues? This blog was on Cruz control yesterday, judging by the number of comments. I hadn't surrendered hope that Cruz would stay with the Orioles, but I kept warning that he'd need to come down to three years. I'm just surprised that he made the decision a week before the start of the Winter Meetings in San Diego. Did his agent read the market and determine that the Mariners' offer of $57 million...

You talk about something good happening to a guy who flew under the radar - well, it happened yesterday. Longtime Orioles minor league coach Butch Davis was hired by the Minnesota Twins as their first base coach. Seeing reaction on Twitter, it is clear that Davis had a lot of fans among O's minor league staff and players. They are thrilled he is returning to the show - his eight-year major league career, which included parts of the 1988 and 1989 seasons with the Orioles, ended in 1994 - after...

One and done. That is it for Nelson Cruz and the Orioles. Cruz repeatedly said he was very interested in re-signing and the team showed interest in retaining him. But in the end, the Orioles were apparently unwilling to offer the 34-year-old Cruz a fourth year and he agreed today to a new deal with Seattle. Cruz had a heckuva one season as an Oriole. He led the majors with 40 homers, posted his highest OPS (.859) since 2010 and could not have handled himself much better on and off the...

For the second consecutive draft, the Nationals' top selection underwent successful Tommy John surgery within a few weeks of being selected. This time, it was former UNLV right-hander Erick Fedde, who was so tough he pitched for Team USA while fighting through an injury. His college coach, Tim Chambers, said the right-hander "really sold out for (him)" while with the Runnin' Rebels. Now, as my colleague Dan Kolko reports, Fedde is back to beginning his throwing program. His schedule will...

Outfielder Nelson Cruz, who led the majors with 40 home runs this season, has agreed to terms on a four-year deal with the Mariners, according to multiple reports. The Dominican newspaper El Caribe was the first to report that Cruz will receive $57 million from the Mariners, who pursued him last winter before ownership intervened. Cruz settled for a one-year, $8 million deal with the Orioles, which executive vice president Dan Duquette described in October as a "platform" for the outfielder...

Back when Jayson Werth signed his seven-year, $126 million deal with the Nationals, many people weren't shy about criticizing the contract, saying the amount of money the Nats were giving Werth far exceeded the market and what could be expected of the veteran outfielder. You don't hear people banging that drum too hard these days, however. So far, Werth has played four seasons in D.C., putting him past the midway point of his contract. He's now 35. And while injuries have been a bit of a...

A week from today, I'll wake up in San Diego, head to the media workroom and be ready for the first official day of baseball's annual Winter Meetings. Unless, of course, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo gets a head start on the fun and announces something Sunday night, as was the case in 2010 when the Nats snagged outfielder Jayson Werth before the press conference dais had even been finished. But that's why I'm arriving in San Diego at midday Sunday. Just in case. In the ensuing three...

Here is a good question: What is taking the Orioles so long to re-sign Nick Markakis? And is there truly a chance now that they may not re-sign him? Is the holdup on the O's or Markakis' side right now? Fans are getting restless on this one. With neither side commenting on it, we are left to mostly guess and speculate here, but it sure seemed like this would be done by now. You don't hear many rumors connecting Markakis to other teams, but he hasn't gotten a new deal with the Orioles. It's...

There's a perception among some fans that Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette is sitting back with his feet on his desk while outfielders Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz decide whether to re-sign with the club or pursue a better offer. I've read the criticisms on Twitter and in the comments section of the blog. Other teams in the division are making bold moves while Duquette lets opportunities pass by waiting on Markakis and Cruz. Pretty soon, it's going to be too late to replace...

I'll warn you all now: this blog post has nothing to do with the Nationals. Hope you'll still be able to go on with your day. Yesterday, the legendary Vin Scully turned 87. When I turn 87, I'll probably be struggling to make my way from my bed to the shuffleboard court out behind my retirement facility. Scully is 87 and still going strong as the play-by-play voice of the Dodgers. Next year, he'll enter his 66th year broadcasting Dodgers games. And in Scully's 65th year, I got to meet...