With all the focus on re-signing free agents Nick Markakis, Nelson Cruz and Andrew Miller - listed in order of probability - it's easy to forget that the Orioles need to decide which arbitration-eligible players are tendered contracts for 2015. Let's start with "the vast majority" and work our way up. Actually, let's start with a reminder of the 11 players, including their salaries this season and MLBTradeRumors.com's projected salaries for 2015. Alejandro De Aza: $4.25 million/$5.9...

Last year, eight players from the Orioles organization played for the Surprise Saguaros, who won the Arizona Fall League championship. Pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez, Tim Berry, Branden Kline and Jason Gurka, and position players Henry Urrutia, Dariel Alvarez, Jonathan Schoop and Michael Ohlman were on that team. Today, Peoria plays Salt River for the AFL championship, but the season is over for the seven O's that played on the Glendale Desert Dogs, who finished 14-15-2. Right-hander Zach...

The night before the final day of the regular season, I went to bed with Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw on top of my National League Most Valuable Player ballot. My feeling was that he had historic dominance and the Dodgers would not have won the National League West without him. That's true. Then, the next morning, I thought the same could be said for Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen, given he was an everyday player as opposed to a pitcher who made 27 starts and missed the first month of the...

One day after shooting down the A.J. Burnett rumor, I can pass along that the right-hander has agreed to terms with the Pirates. The news has been confirmed by multiple media outlets. Burnett's one-year deal with the Pirates is for $8.5 million, according to reports. He turned down a $12.75 million option with the Phillies in order to sign with a contender. We now live in a world where the Pirates are contenders again. The Orioles didn't make Burnett an offer, according to team officials. The...

Last week, Orioles manager Buck Showalter was named American League Manager of the Year. While Showalter definitely deserved the award, it merely reminds many fans that the offseason has arrived. And that means they miss the Orioles. If you find yourself missing live baseball action, I can't really help you. I can, however, direct you to three "Orioles Classics" games airing on MASN HD this week. Don't miss this week's "Orioles Classics": Monday, Nov. 17, 12:30 p.m.: Catch Game 5 of the...

This past weekend, the Washington D.C., area saw the area's first few snowflakes. Personally, the snow and frigid temperatures have left me feeling a little sad and missing the warm temperatures of the summer. With summer comes baseball games virtually every day. If the weather has you feeling a little down, don't fret. You have a few opportunities to catch a pair of "Nationals Classics" games. Here's what's on deck this week: Tuesday, Nov. 18, 11 a.m.: On May 28, 2005, the...

The summer of baseball has finished, and while most of the discussion has shifted to free agents, trades and roster moves, many of baseball's best young prospects have just completed play in the Arizona Fall League. Seven of those prospects - four pitchers and three position p layers - were wearing Orioles uniforms. Those seven minor leaguers were playing for the Glendale Desert Dogs, who won 14 games, lost 15 and tied two, finishing in last place in the AFL West Division. Here's how each...

The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms on a Major League contract with infielder/outfielder Kevin Frandsen, avoiding arbitration and securing the utility man for a second season in D.C. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Frandsen, 32, hit .259 with a team-leading 11 pinch hits for the Nationals in 2014 - ranking him 10th in the National League in that category. An exceptionally versatile player, Frandsen appeared in 105 games for the...

The Nationals have released touted left-hander Matt Purke, according to the team's transactions page. Purke, the Nationals' No. 10 prospect, had recently been activated from the 60-day disabled list. The current 40-man roster lists 39 players. Purke was a third-round selection out of Texas Christian University in the 2011 draft and had signed a major league deal worth close to $4.2 million. He did not pitch much at the pro level in 2014, going 1-6 with an 8.04 ERA in eight starts for Double-A...

The Nationals have re-signed one of their top bench performers from 2014, re-upping with Kevin Frandsen on a one-year, $1 million deal for 2015, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Per Crasnick, the deal also contains incentives that could pay Frandsen an additional $300,000. Frandsen hit .259/.299/.309 with the Nats in 2014, hitting one home run and driving in 17. Frandsen was the Nats' top pinch-hitter this season, delivering 11 pinch-hits, which tied for 10th-most in the National League...