At some point today or real soon, pitcher Jon Lester will sign a massive free agent contract - one worth perhaps $150 million or more. That news will get a lot of attention. Somewhere else another man will be smiling and happy for Lester. That is the area scout that drafted him out of a Tacoma, Wash., high school at age 18. Lester was a second-round pick, No. 57 overall in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft. That scout is Gary Rajsich, who has been the Orioles director of scouting since...

SAN DIEGO - The dance between reporters seeking information and team executives reluctant to part with it is the crux of many conversations at the Winter Meetings. Whether it's an informal chat in the hotel bar or the packed lobby, or every afternoon's formal interview session, the tango begins anew with every conversation. We want information. They want us to have only the information they want to share. We ask, they answer. We ask again, they rephrase the original response - or scowl,...

SAN DIEGO - The lobby of the Manchester Grand Hyatt is filling up again for the second official day of baseball's Winter Meetings. The biggest buzz surrounds free agent pitcher Jon Lester, who reportedly has multiple offers for six years and may have a team willing to give him seven. The Orioles never were in the running for Lester. They're not touching the high-priced starters on the market. While their primary focus has shifted to the outfield, they also are targeting a left-handed...

SAN DIEGO - Guess who's back at the Manchester Grand Hyatt for Day Two of the Winter Meetings? The MASNsports.com team is set up and ready to deliver any and all Nationals news from San Diego all the way back to Washington! Will the Nationals make a trade at some point? Will they sign a free agent? If it happens today, you can be sure to read about it here. Headlines * Nationals trying to assess trade value of their 2015 free agents (with note) - Dan Kolko * Interpreting Rizzo's comments...

SAN DIEGO - It was interesting to hear executive vice president Dan Duquette suggest the Orioles are more likely to acquire an outfielder right now via free agency rather than through a trade. I don't think that ends any rumors about the club's possible pursuit of Matt Kemp or Justin Upton, but that seems unlikely at this moment. Here is the lengthy list of free agent corner outfielders according to MLBTradeRumors.com: Nori Aoki (33) Melky Cabrera (30) Mike Carp (29) Endy Chavez (37) Tyler...

SAN DIEGO - If Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette really had a sense of humor, he would have greeted reporters in his suite yesterday while wearing a Blue Jays cap. Too soon? It's pointless to keep asking Duquette about his reported desire to join the Blue Jays as president/CEO. He isn't going to confirm it and he isn't going to provide a stern denial. He's just going to stress that his focus remains on the Orioles. Keep squinting while reading between the lines, but don't...

SAN DIEGO - The Orioles are looking for outfielders via trade and the free agent market. The Nationals are mum about their plans for finding a second baseman. And, generally across both leagues, the action is slow. Big-name players going in the trade could define these Winter Meetings, and the dealings will start after lefty Jon Lester decides where he's going to play. He could return to Boston or sign with the Cubs and renew his relationship with former Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein,...

SAN DIEGO - ESPN's Keith Law knows something about how baseball teams run their front offices. He worked for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2002-06, now covers everything from the minors to the majors for ESPN and ESPN.com, and is a big part of the network's coverage from the Winter Meetings. Law talked at length with me about reports that Toronto has interest in Dan Duquette for a president/CEO position with their team. Keith, what is your reaction to this news? "I think the new trend now in...

SAN DIEGO - When holding trade talks involving major league players, there's more to consider than just the names, ages and the past on-field histories of the guys involved. The contracts play a major part in the process, as well. Teams want talented players, but they want talented players who are under team control for multiple years at a reasonable price. That's why Tanner Roark, for example, holds a good bit of value. Not only has Roark made a major impact on the mound the last two...

SAN DIEGO - Infielder Danny Espinosa said last season that he's toying with the idea of ditching switch-hitting and batting exclusively from the right side of the plate. While Espinosa seems willing to make the switch, the Nationals aren't saying if that's the plan going into spring training. It might not be until Grapefruit League games begin that their plans for Espinosa become evident. Meeting with reporters today in his suite at the Manchester Grand Hyatt to recap the first day of...