When the Orioles hired Dave Wallace as their pitching coach on Oct. 29, they got a man with a lot of experience, a World Series ring and a reputation for working well with with young pitchers. During the Winter Meetings last week in Florida, I had a chance to catch up with Wallace for a video interview. Wallace has served as pitching for four teams - the Houston Astros (2007), Boston Red Sox (2003-06), New York Mets (1999-2000) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1995-97). He was with the Mets when they...

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado's recovery from Oct. 14 knee surgery is now well under way and it seems to be going quite well. Stephania Bell, ESPN's injury expert and senior writer for ESPN.com, went to Miami to interview Machado just before Thanksgiving. She saw a player determined to come back strong. "I thought he was doing very well and his range of motion was great, maybe even better than I expected," Bell said. "He had just gotten rid of what we call a quad lag, where you...

If any organization wants lasting success and a good farm system, it is probably essential that its player development and scouting departments are on the same page. A few years ago, there were those that felt that was not true in Baltimore and that internal differences hurt the overall effort. Orioles director of player development Brian Graham, addressing the current situation with the organization, feels the departments are very much on the same page now. The scouts sign the players, but...

The Nationals have added former major league catcher Michael Barrett to their minor league staff and will bring in a former Double-A Manager of the Year to be the new skipper at Triple-A Syracuse, a source with knowledge of the appointments told MASNSports.com. Also, former Nationals pitcher Tim Redding is back with the organization after being named pitching coach at short-season Single-A Auburn. Billy Gardner Jr., the 2012 Southern League Manager of the Year with Montgomery of the Tampa...

On Monday, February 17, the Orioles will hold the 4th Annual OriolesREACH Birdland Golf Classic at Laurel Oak Country Club to benefit the Miracle League of Manasota, an organization dedicated to providing an opportunity for every person to play baseball, regardless of their ability. The event begins with registration and lunch at 11 a.m., with a shotgun start set for 12:30 p.m. The classic will feature a silent auction and the chance to play a round with current and former Orioles players and...

The Orioles are on the verge of making their first impact move of the offseason. According to industry sources, the Orioles are nearing an agreement with free-agent closer Grant Balfour on a two-year deal. One source says Balfour will receive $14 million over two years, plus $500,000 deferred each year. The agreement will become official later today. Balfour reportedly had a higher-paying offer from another club - believed to be two years with a vesting option - but clearly preferred to...

In case you hadn't noticed, I've failed to get a proper handle on the Orioles' plans at second base. The errors are accumulating at an alarming rate, ruining my chances of winning a hot stove Gold Glove. I bobbled Brian Roberts. I booted Mark Ellis. I'm all-hit, no-field. All indications pointed to the Orioles re-signing Roberts over the winter. Plenty of folks in the organization anticipated it, including manager Buck Showalter. Executive vice president Dan Duquette reached out to...

Baseball America's top 10 Orioles prospects list has just been released. I was honored to be asked to compile the list for Baseball America this year. Below is the top 10 with a quick comment on each player. 1. Pitcher Dylan Bundy: Even after the Tommy John surgery, he remains No. 1, but it was pretty close. Some forget how good he was in 2012 and the success rate of that surgery is high. Still bullish on Bundy. 2. Pitcher Kevin Gausman: If you ranked Gausman No. 1 over Bundy, you would not...

Another left-handed reliever that the Nationals were linked to this offseason has landed a multi-year, eight-figure contract. J.P. Howell has agreed to a two-year deal with the Dodgers worth a guaranteed $11.25 million, with a mutual option for 2016 worth $6.25 million, according to various reports. The option can reportedly vest based on a certain amount of appearances over the two guaranteed years. Howell's deal comes after Boone Logan agreed to a three-year, $16.5 million contract with...

So much for the Orioles re-signing Brian Roberts. According to FOX Sports, the Yankees are "likely" to sign Roberts, the Orioles' supplemental pick in the 1999 First-Year Player Draft. The Yankees need a replacement for Robinson Cano, who signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Mariners. The Orioles still hadn't reached out to Roberts' agent during the Winter Meetings, though executive vice president Dan Duquette indicated that the door remained open for a return. "Let's...