It's possible that the Orioles will announce today that they've signed former Giants outfielder Francisco Peguero. And it's likely that the news will be met with more sarcasm. Pace yourselves. Is executive vice president Dan Duquette aware of, or concerned about, negative fan reaction to the Jim Johnson trade? "I think that's natural when you have changes to your club or to your roster," he said. "I think the important thing for our players and our fans to know is that we're going to...

Is the Orioles' window of opportunity closing after the next season or two? Shortstop J.J. Hardy will be a free agent after the 2014 season, which could also be Nick Markakis' last season in an O's uniform. Matt Wieters and Chris Davis can be free agents after the 2015 season. Those are four key Orioles starters that could be gone after the 2014 season or the year after. That has led some reporters and fans to look at the next season or two as the Orioles' window of opportunity to make...

Orioles superfan Romeo Santos believes that O's fans are "the most loyal and dedicated fans in all of baseball" and professional sports. And this year, he may have the chance to represent the Baltimore fanbase if he is named to the ESPN Fan Hall of Fame. If you have ever been to an Orioles game at Camden Yards or caught a game on MASN, you may have noticed Santos, leading fans in cheers while wearing his bright orange Orioles helmet. Santos makes it to roughly 50 games each year at Camden...

In an effort to spread holiday cheer throughout the D.C. region, the Washington Nationals will participate in a series of community events that make up the team's "Week of Giving" beginning next Monday, December 9 through Saturday, December 14. During the week, Nationals players and front office staff will partake in activities aimed at giving back to the local community while celebrating the spirit of the holidays. To start off the week of events, Nationals pitcher Ross Detwiler* and...

Executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed today that the Orioles are on the verge of signing outfielder Francisco Peguero, who was non-tendered by the Giants on Monday. Peguero would have to pass a physical before the deal becomes official. "We're working on it, but nothing is in place," Duquette said. "It's not a done deal. We're still in the process." Peguero, 25, went 6-for-29 with the Giants this year, posting a .207/.233/.345 line with a double, home run, four runs scored...

What an insane week this has already been in Major League Baseball. And we're only through Tuesday. The following deals all went down in the last two days (terms are according to various media reports): Jacoby Ellsbury turned in his Red Sox for some pinstripes, agreeing to a seven-year, $153 million deal with the Yankees. The Red Sox signed catcher A.J. Pierzynski to a one-year, $8.25 million deal. The Rockies inked first baseman Justin Morneau to a two-year deal worth around $13 million....

Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette was a guest on MASN's "Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" yesterday and talked about the Jim Johnson trade. He said when you look at the trade you'll have to look at other players the O's sign in the next few weeks. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweeted this yesterday: "Jim Johnson trade was an obvious salary dump for Baltimore. Source said Orioles could be using money to pursue outfielder Nelson Cruz." Cruz was among 13...

The Nationals have added pitcher Doug Fister as the No. 4 starter to their rotation. And while the debate about whether or not they have the best rotation in the National League, there's one question that remains: How did they get one of the American League's top pitchers for a utility infielder (Steve Lombardozzi), a lefty reliever (Ian Krol) and a low-level prospect (Robbie Ray)? The answer is that the Tigers are in a cost-cutting mode. And even though they have one of the most generous...

The Orioles played their final game on Sept. 29. Are they any better today? No. About the same? No. It's still early, right? We're not supposed to be fooled by the flurry of trades and signings. We haven't reached the Winter Meetings yet. This date qualifies as "early" for the offseason. But the Orioles have backpedaled by removing Jim Johnson, Nate McLouth, Brian Roberts, Scott Feldman and Jason Hammel from the roster. Oh yeah, and Manny Machado had knee surgery. So, how's your day...

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette phoned into "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" earlier today on MASN. Not surprisingly, last night's trade was the first topic of discussion. What motivated the Orioles to send closer Jim Johnson to the Athletics for infielder Jemile Weeks and a PTBNL? "Jimmy did a nice job and that was a difficult choice for us, but we were looking to create some flexibility for the team to go out and staff some of the other areas. And we think we'll be able...