It was a very good season for Michael Taylor. He worked daily with then-Single-A Potomac hitting coach Mark Harris to tweak his approach at the plate. He already commanded the outfield for the P-Nats and by the end of the season, his at-bats turned into clutch moments that kept Potomac in the running for the Mills Cup title to the final few days. Recently, Taylor earned a spot on the Nationals' 40-man roster. At 22, he is the second youngest outfielder on the roster. Some guy named Bryce...

As the news continues to evolve concerning the posting process for Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, I feel as though my face is pressed against a window and I'm watching the story unfold from the outside. Alanis Morissette says I'm uninvited. An unfortunate slight. Other reporters have been hanging on every update, but the Orioles won't get involved with Tanaka. Executive vice president Dan Duquette made it clear at the Winter Meetings, which reduced me to nothing more than a casual...

Here's hoping you and yours enjoyed the best Christmas possible yesterday. I've taken two naps during the family festivities at the home of my stepbrother in Newark, Del. - one before dinner, one after - and am so stuffed with homemade goodness that I may not have to eat for several days. The downside of the post-turkey, tryptophan-induced food coma is that I'm wide awake as Dec. 26 dawns. You can only spend so much time counting the gift cards - and I've amassed a plethora of free dining...

Now that Christmas Day has come and gone, I wonder if some Orioles players found these gifts under their trees: * Nick Markakis - His old pop back. No, he won't hit many homers, but the guy used to fall out of bed and hit doubles. If that returns in 2014 - and we should not forget Markakis had a real solid 2012 season - it would be a big lift for the Orioles. * Adam Jones - The ability to chase fewer pitches. Few things drive O's fans more crazy, yet really I see it as a nitpick of a player...

I raced downstairs this morning, trying not to trip in my footie pajamas and hoping that Santa filled my stocking with all the goodies that I requested while sitting on his lap, but he didn't come through for me. Maybe I freaked him out by facing the other way. I was totally dissed by the jolly fat man with the white beard and cookie crumbs on the front of his shirt. No Bronson Arroyo or A.J. Burnett. No Kendrys Morales. Heck, no Nelson Cruz, who was included with the socks and...

Here's wishing every Orioles fan everywhere a very Merry Christmas, a happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year. Just a short entry here today to pass along those wishes and I hope this is your best Christmas ever. For those of us that are so passionate about baseball, today is a rare day, rare in that baseball takes a back seat to Christmas and our family and friends. It's OK if baseball finishes second today. But I thank each one of you for reading and commenting on my blog as often...

New Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs manager Billy Gardner Jr. had a successful run as manager of the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. During that time, he kept tabs on the Nationals, and is excited to be able to join the organization. "I think it is going to be a really good situation with Washington," Gardner said. "From the top on down - ownership to Mike Rizzo to Doug Harris - a lot of first-class people over there who have the organization going in the right direction and I am fortunate to be a...

Tommy Hunter responded to my text message yesterday with a phone call, asked how I was doing and said he would be sitting in a tree later in the afternoon. I imagined him placing the star on top - the final touch to his holiday decorating - until I figured out that he meant a tree stand. He's a hunter in more ways than one. Why did I contact Tommy Hunter? Because I'm lonely and it's the holidays and I tend to get bluesy. But seriously ... I wanted to gauge his interest in becoming the...

Some baseball writers detest the Winter Meetings. There's too much time spent on too little happening, they say, and prowling a hotel lobby for hours on end in search of the tiniest shreds of information pertaining to the team you cover can be a tedious ordeal. For me, being around the game's movers and shakers for four days is nothing short of baseball geek nirvana. And because there are scouts among the executives hanging out for late-night happy hour or at the morning breakfast buffet,...

The Orioles must have been determined to sign an Australian-born player this winter. The club announced today that it claimed pitcher Liam Hendriks, 24, off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs actually claimed Hendriks off waivers from the Twins on Dec. 13 after he went 1-3 with a 6.85 ERA in 10 games, including eight starts, over 47 1/3 innings. Hendriks also made 16 starts for Triple-A Rochester, going 4-8 with a 4.67 ERA in 98 1/3 innings. He allowed 115 hits, walked 15 and struck out...