The Orioles' decision to back away from their two-year agreement with Grant Balfour may not hurt them on the field. They could sign Fernando Rodney, who's totaled 85 saves over the past two seasons and posted a 0.60 ERA in 2012, and not skip a beat. But what are the potential ramifications off the field? Balfour could decide to file a grievance with the players association. Some free agents down the road may be leery of agreeing to terms with the Orioles, especially ones with a checkered...

At least until Saturday morning. The Orioles have turned their attention to free agent closer Fernando Rodney, reaching out to his agent again today. He's their No. 1 target now, but not at the money he desires. At last check, Rodney was searching for a multi-year deal worth $10 million or more per season. Considering that the Orioles didn't want to pay Jim Johnson $10-$11 million in arbitration, that's not going to work for them. As one person told me, a deal could get done if Rodney...

I wanted to pass along more quotes from Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette, who confirmed this afternoon that the club would not sign closer Grant Balfour. The two sides had reached agreement earlier this week on a two-year, $15 million contract, but the Orioles weren't comfortable with the results of his physical. "Our scouts evaluate a player's skill and ability and capability to help the team, but our medical staff's evaluation also is a vital part of the process, especially...

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette just confirmed to reporters that the deal with Grant Balfour is off, and the club will attempt to find another closer. Duquette indicated that the Orioles could sign a closer, trade for one or choose an internal candidate. "The Orioles were disappointed that we couldn't complete a contract with Grant Balfour," Duquette said. "The reason is the club's not satisfied with the results of the physical exam. "We would never say never or close the...

I have an alternate theory on the trade earlier this week that sent outfielder Corey Brown back to the A's in exchange for cash considerations: It was easier for Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo to ship another player to the A's than it was for him to try to maneuver a bottle of fine wine past the TSA checkpoint for holiday dinner with A's GM Billy Beane's family. OK, I kid, I kid. Check out Dan Kolko's explanation of the many deals between Rizzo and Beane in this post from yesterday....

The Orioles' offseason took another nasty turn this afternoon. The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that orioles left-hander Troy Patton has received a 25-game suspension without pay after testing positive for an amphetamine in violation of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension of Patton will be effective at the start of the 2014 regular season. Patton couldn't be reached for comment. Executive vice president Dan Duquette...

A week removed from the Winter Meetings, this time of the offseason has been busy for many teams. Not so much for the Nationals. Making a huge move early in the offseason with the Doug Fister trade, the Nationals continued to wheel and deal, signing Nate McLouth and trading for Jerry Blevins. With many of their offseason needs met, the Nats have mostly sat back this week, with the exception of trading Corey Brown to the A's for cash considerations. We have seen in the past that offseason...

The Washington Nationals today named their minor league managers, coaches and coordinators for the 2014 season. Nationals Vice President of Player Personnel Bob Boone, Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Development Doug Harris and Director of Player Development Mark Scialabba made the joint announcement. The Nationals promoted three complete staffs within their system, elevating Brian Daubach, Chris Michalak and Mark Harris from Advanced-A Potomac to Double-A Harrisburg,...

After a slow Winter Meetings, the Orioles' offseason seemed to pick up. However, it has not been without bumps in the road. To fill the void left by Jim Johnson, the Orioles sought out Grant Balfour. After the Birds had agreed with the the closer on a two-year, $15-million contract, news broke that there were complications with his physical, seriously jeopardizing the deal. Dan Duquette will speak to the media later today, so be sure to check in to the School of Roch for the latest...

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette will provide an update on closer Grant Balfour later this afternoon, and I'll pass along his comments as soon as he's done. Team officials are meeting this morning to discuss Balfour, who was supposed to sign his two-year, $15 million contract yesterday. Concerns arose over the results of his physical, and the deal appears to be falling apart. The Orioles could choose to void it and attempt to sign another closer. They could negotiate a new deal...