Tommy Hunter's chances of closing for the Orioles this season improved dramatically tonight. Reports have surfaced that Fernando Rodney agreed to terms with the Mariners on a two-year, $14 million contract. The deal, first reported by Jonah Keri of Grantland, includes another $1 million in possible incentives. The deal is pending the results of his physical. Those things don't always go smoothly. The Orioles maintained dialogue with Rodney's agent and were deemed as one of the finalists...

Well, the Super Bowl was nice and all, but guess what? It's baseball season! Before we talk more about how pitchers and catchers report this coming Thursday, here's a fun fact: Did you know that quarterback and Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson was once drafted by the Orioles? Anyway, back to baseball. Spring training will officially be under way in just six days. While pitchers and catchers report in less than a week, there are still many questions surrounding the Orioles. We have to...

Heard there was a big sporting event this past week? I'm kidding - of course, I watched the Super Bowl on Sunday, and as many have said, I found it really hard to get into. I'm sure I'd be thrilled if I were a Seahawks fan. However, at the end of the game, only one thing had me really excited, and that's that baseball is right around the corner. In less than a week, Nats spring training will be under way, with pitchers and catchers reporting Feb. 13. Recently picked up by the Nationals,...

In November, eight Orioles prospects were on the championship team in the Arizona Fall League. In fact, several O's players came up big in the championship game as Surprise beat Mesa 2-0 for the title. Eduardo Rodriguez got the win with three shutout innings and the two runs were scored by Jonathan Schoop and Henry Urrutia, who doubled twice in the finale. Now some O's young players could be part of another league championship. They've helped Perth to the Australian Baseball League...

The Orioles currently have 60 players on their spring training roster, with the intention of adding at least one more pitcher. They're still trying to finalize a deal with Korean right-hander Suk-min Yoon and are heavily involved in negotiations with A.J. Burnett and Bronson Arroyo. Arroyo reportedly is willing to accept a two-year deal, which puts him in play for the Orioles. Meanwhile, there are doubts about whether Burnett actually wants to pitch in Baltimore despite the proximity to his...

Don Larsen was a no-name pitcher who became a baseball legend when he pitched a perfect game for the New York Yankees in their 2-0 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series in Yankee Stadium. The game is remembered with an iconic picture of Yankees catcher Yogi Berra jumping Larsen's arms after the game's final out. Larsen, 84, and now living in Idaho, is the only pitcher to throw a perfecto in the World Series. But in the days before he was a Yankee, he played for...

Beginning today at 10:00 a.m., the Washington Nationals will once again offer popular NATITUDE Flex Pack ticket packages for the upcoming season, allowing fans to select four games among five affordable packs and receive a fifth game FREE. The 2014 Flex Packs allow fans to secure seats to some of the hottest games of the season, including the March 29 exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers, before single game tickets go on sale to the general public. Nationals fans can choose from the...

When Denard Span showed up to NatsFest last year, he says he walked into the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and immediately felt somewhat out of place. Span had just been acquired by the Nationals in a trade with the Twins - the only organization he had ever known - two months prior, and had yet to meet the vast majority of his teammates and coaches. The then-28-year-old was plenty friendly and accommodating to fans and reporters that day, but he says it wasn't too comfortable of an...

No matter how many announcements are made concerning minor league signings or new scouts, the Orioles' primary focus remains on finding a veteran starting pitcher. Nothing has changed in that regard. However, the bullpen has not gone ignored. It's not set. The Orioles remain in the running for closer Fernando Rodney. They've stayed in contact with his representative as the market for his services diminished. While they seem comfortable with naming Tommy Hunter as their ninth-inning...

If Johnny Monell ever comes with up a big hit to lead the Orioles over the Yankees, he'll be beating his hometown team. The Orioles acquired the Bronx, N.Y., native in late November, sending cash to the San Francisco Giants for Monell, a player San Francisco had designated for assignment a few days earlier. Now, after seven minor league seasons in the Giants organization, Monell is going to try and make a big league opening day roster for the first time. He's out to win the backup catching...