Will Giancarlo Stanton become baseball's first $300 million player? That was certainly stunning news this week when reports of this megacontract surfaced. By the way, the team making the reported offer of a 13-year, $325 million deal, the Miami Marlins, once cast off players in a fire sale. This is coming from a Marlins team that had an opening day payroll of $50.5 million in 2013 and $45.8 million last year. This from a Marlins team that ranked last in the National League in attendance at...

While I fully expect Nick Markakis to be playing right field for the Orioles on opening day, I don't mind revisting the Dariel Alvarez question. Again, no. He isn't going to break camp with the Orioles in 2015. He wouldn't be Markakis' replacement if negotiations fell apart. Will Alvarez be in the majors at some point next season? I really like his chances. So does Brian Graham, the Orioles' director of player development, and his opinion carries a lot more weight. Alvarez, signed to an...

Yesterday's decision by the Nationals to release oft-injured left-hander Matt Purke took some fans by surprise. Purke was a third-round pick out of TCU in 2011. He was given a big league deal out of college. He was handed a $4.2 million contract. I get it; it's news when a player like that is released. The Nationals took a chance on Purke in the draft, selecting a player who had battled a shoulder injury while in college, and it didn't pan out. This is a team that has made similar draft...

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...