The Nationals were pleased to be able to reacquire right-handed starter A.J. Cole prior to last season in another trade involving the Oakland A's. This was the deal involving power-hitter Michael Morse and the Seattle Mariners. Cole struggled during his time with the Athletics at the high Single-A level, then gained some consistency with Oakland's low Single-A team. But Cole really got going in his second go-round with the Nationals. He not only flourished at the Single-A level this time,...

The Orioles have signed another player to a minor league contract that doesn't include a spring training invitation, reaching agreement with Scott Savastano, who will report to Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota. Agent Joe Rosen tweeted the news, offering congratulations on the signing. Savastano, 27, has spent all six of his professional seasons in the Mariners organization and is a career .282/.360/.406 hitter. He batted .235/.293/.328 in 58 games with Triple-A Tacoma this year, with four...

Unfortunately, this week has come with bad news for Orioles fans. News broke Wednesday that there may be issues with outfielder Tyler Colvin's physical, and yesterday, the Rays signed Grant Balfour to a two-year deal. However, it has also been reported that the O's are making progress in talks with former Rays closer Fernando Rodney. The Orioles also signed left-hander Aaron Laffey to a minor league deal this week. The long-awaited signing of Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka occurred this...

Two Nationals prospects have been named to MLB.com's Here's the link to the NatsFest page for more information on tickets and the event in general.

The Orioles had three players ranked among baseball's top 100 prospects by MLB.com and MLBPipeline.com in the list released last night. Pitcher Dylan Bundy was ranked No. 20, pitcher Kevin Gausman No. 31 and pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez was ranked No. 68. When this list was released last January, Bundy was ranked No. 2 and Gausman No. 37 by MLB.com and Rodriguez was unranked as the O's had just those two players on the list. On the MLB.com list from last summer, Gausman was No. 14, Bundy No....

Toward the end of last season, I approached Nick Markakis' locker and asked the right fielder whether his statistical decline could be blamed on his previous health issues. Markakis mentioned how he failed to make the necessary adjustments and it became a learning experience, which I found interesting, considering how he'd already spent eight years in the majors. I guess you're never too old to learn. I broached the subject with Markakis again last night on WBAL Radio's "Hot Stove...

Three Orioles are among the sport's top 100 prospects according to MLB.com and MLBPipeline.com. In its ranking of the game's top young players released tonight, pitcher Dylan Bundy was ranked No. 20, pitcher Kevin Gausman No. 31 and pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez was ranked No. 68. When this list was released last January, Bundy was ranked No. 2 and Gausman No. 37 by MLB.com and Rodriguez was unranked as the O's had just those two players on the list. On the MLB.com list from last summer,...

Who's ready for NatsFest tomorrow? I am so excited! Tomorrow will mark my first NatsFest, and I can't wait! After I write this, I'm heading down to D.C. to scout out the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center to scope out the area and start to set up the MASN booth. We'll have autographed Nats gear, photo opportunities and more to give away, so be sure to stop by and say hi! This week, the Nats avoided arbitration with multiple players. Ross Detwiler, Jordan Zimmermann, Drew...

The Orioles have signed left-hander Aaron Laffey to a minor league deal. At this point, his contract doesn't include an invitation to spring training. Laffey will attend the minor league mini-camp on Feb. 22, and it's possible that he will be summoned to the Ed Smith Stadium complex at a later date. Otherwise, he'll do his throwing at Twin Lakes Park and attempt to win a job at Triple-A Norfolk. Laffey, 28, has local ties. He was born in Cumberland and attended Allegany High School. The...

A month after the Orioles pulled back their offer to free agent closer Grant Balfour, he's reportedly on the verge of signing with the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays. Is anyone really surprised? Balfour has landed another two-year deal, according to multiple reports. The Tampa Bay Times confirmed that it's worth $12 million. The Rays scheduled a press conference for later today. Now, we know the reason behind it. As you may have heard, the Orioles were prepared to sign Balfour for $15...