Former Oriole Jeff Manto drove to Baltimore today and spent about two hours interviewing for the vacant job of hitting coach. Manager Buck Showalter, executive vice president Dan Duquette and vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson were in the room. Manto, the minor league hitting coordinator since November 2013, found out this morning that Jim Presley had been reassigned. The Orioles gave him the choice of interviewing later in the day or Tuesday, and he wasn't taking any...

So the Orioles will have a new hitting coach for the 2015 season with the news yesterday that Jim Presley is being reassigned. While this comes at Presley's request, I can see some fans jumping to the conclusion that manager Buck Showalter wants a new hitting coach. That does not appear to be the case, and several times late during the 2014 season, Showalter remarked that he was excited that his entire coaching staff would return for the coming year. Here is a look at Presley's four seasons...

Infielder Rey Navarro, who agreed to a major league contract over the weekend, flew into Baltimore last night and will take his physical this morning. The Orioles will announce his signing and addition to the 40-man roster once they receive the results. The Orioles will have two open spots on their 40-man. One is reserved for the Rule 5 draft. Keep in mind that the Orioles can create more room at any time. I keep noting how infielder Steve Lombardozzi is likely to be removed. It just hasn't...

The Orioles began the process of interviewing hitting coaches today by meeting with Jeff Manto. No sense waiting until after the Thanksgiving holiday. The Orioles hired Manto as minor league hitting coordinator in November 2013, replacing Mike Boulanger in the role. He previously served as hitting coach with the Pirates in 2006-07 and the White Sox in 2012-13. The White Sox fired him following a 99-loss season. Manto was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame over the...

The Orioles fell short in their run to the World Series this season. However, it turned out to be a profitable pursuit. Major League Baseball announced that the Orioles' postseason share totaled $7,443,175.42, with the value of each full share being $125,288.04. The Orioles issued 52 full shares, a total of 6.25 partial shares and 36 cash awards. Players vote on the distribution of playoff money, including the amount and the recipients. For example, they awarded a share in 2012 to Triple-A...

So much for the Orioles returning all of their coaches in 2015. Though the entire staff is under contract, the Orioles have reassigned hitting coach Jim Presley within the organization at his request and will begin interviewing candidates this week, according to multiple sources. Presley's reassignment is due to personal reasons, according to sources, and not related to the club's performance. He could get involved in scouting. The Orioles hired Presley, 53, as hitting coach in 2011 after he...

There's not a lot of Nationals love on the 2015 Hall of Fame ballot announced this morning. Only one former Nat - infielder Aaron Boone - is listed among the 17 new additions to the ballot, which feature three pitchers (Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz) who combined to win nine Cy Young Awards and two hitters (Gary Sheffield and Nomar Garciaparra) who claimed batting titles in their careers. Boone played one season for the Nationals, hitting .241 with six homers and 28 RBIs in 104...

Five former Orioles are included on the 2015 Hall of Fame ballot, which was released today by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The ballot contains 17 newcomers and 17 holdovers, and is being mailed this week to more than 575 voting members of the BBWAA. The former Orioles are pitchers Mike Mussina, Curt Schilling and Lee Smith, and outfielders Tim Raines and Sammy Sosa. The list of newcomers to the ballot includes pitchers Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz, infielder...

The Nationals have made it a mandate: Build from pitching and catching. Their organization is filled with outstanding hurlers and backstops that have played well for the Nationals or have brought fruit in trades over the years. Derek Norris, who was traded in a blockbuster 2011 deal for left-hander Gio Gonzalez, has become a starter for the Oakland A's, helping to guide them to a playoff appearance last season. (Ironically, A.J. Cole was part of that deal to Oakland, has since been traded back...

We've got lots of action on the hot stove this morning. And all of it is coming out of Boston. FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reported last night that Hanley Ramirez is flying to Beantown today to finalize a contract with the Red Sox, one that will be in the five-year, $90 million range. Ramirez got his start in the Red Sox organization before being traded to the Marlins in the winter of 2005 in the deal that sent Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston. Now he's apparently bringing it full...