LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Rule 5 draft has ended and baseball executives are racing to the airport as if there's a treasure chest waiting at curbside check-in. The Orioles would have settled for a closer, a starting pitcher and a left-handed bat. Keep the trinkets. Technically, the Orioles obtained a left-handed hitting outfielder by selecting Julio Borbon in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5. And their agreement with reliever Ryan Webb became official this week. In reality, they failed...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Orioles selected two players today in the Rule 5 draft, adding corner infielder Michael Almanzar from Boston with the 16th pick in the major league phase and taking outfielder Julio Borbon from the Cubs in the Triple-A phase. Almanzar must stay on the Orioles' 25-man roster all year or be offered back to the Red Sox for half the $50,000 draft price, while Borbon enters the O's minor leagues but may also get a look this spring in major league camp. The...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals added a pair of players in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday morning, selecting fleet outfielder Theo Bowe in the first round and right-hander Martires Arias in the second round. Bowe played in 99 games last season for Double-A Pensacola, the Southern League affiliate of the Reds, where he hit .206 with four homers and 16 RBIs. While those numbers might not be exciting, the fact that the 23-year-old out of Milford High School in...

The Orioles today announced that they have selected third baseman Michael Almanzar of the Boston Red Sox organization in the Rule 5 Draft. In six minor league seasons in the Red Sox organization, Almanzar is a career .250/.302/.373 hitter with 49 home runs and 304 RBI. In 131 games with Double-A Portland in 2013, Almanzar batted .268/.328/.432 (136-507) with 16 homers and 81 RBI. With this move, the Orioles now have 39 players on the 40-man roster. The Orioles today announced that they have...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Orioles were among nine teams making selections in the major league phase of this morning's Rule 5 draft, taking third baseman Michael Almanzar off Triple-A Pawtucket's roster. Almanzar, 23, batted .268/.328/.432 last season at Double-A Portland of the Red Sox's organization, with 29 doubles, 16 homers, 81 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 131 games. He's a career .250/.302/.373 hitter in six minor league seasons. Almanzar, a right-handed hitter from the Dominican...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals won't be selecting anyone in today's Rule 5 Draft because their 40-man roster is full, but they lost minor league catcher Adrian Nieto to the White Sox with the No. 3 pick in the major league phase of the Rule 5. Nieto, 24, was a fifth-round pick out of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla., in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft. He hit .285/.373/.449 with 11 homers and 53 RBIs at high Single-A Potomac in 2013. The White Sox will pay the...

Between icy weather and offseason moves, it's safe to say we're in the meat of the offseason. With that said, it's easy to lose sight of those exciting summer nights - those nights that remind you why you love the Nationals. This week, we're throwin' back to one of those nights. On a warm summer night in Philly, Ian Desmond came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the 11th. If you don't remember what happens next, I'm sure you can guess. Relive Desmond's...

Many Orioles fans have felt a little more anxiety and frustration this week because the team has yet to make a big move at the Winter Meetings. With that said, this week's Throwback Thursday is dedicated to giving fans a little pick-me-up with a small dose of Orioles magic. Early in the season, the Birds were trailing 5-3 headed into the top of the ninth in Boston. The O's managed to tie the game thanks to a Chris Davis solo home run and a wild pitch that allowed Alexi Casilla to score from...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Well, the Winter Meetings are finally almost complete. I wish I could say they've flown by, but that hasn't exactly been the case. These things are a grind. Pretty much all that's left on the schedule here at the Swan and Dolphin Resort is this morning's Rule 5 Draft, in which teams can sift through unprotected minor leaguers in other organizations and try and supplement their own 40-man rosters. There are more specific rules on this process that I'll explain...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Orioles are heavy favorites to select another player in the Rule 5 draft, which begins at 9 a.m. at the Swan and Dolphin Resort. I won't leave you in suspense any longer. I'm in the Dolphin building. This explains why Larry Csonka left a mint on my pillow. I'm anticipating that the Orioles will take another reliever, as they did last winter with T.J. McFarland. But they chose infielder Ryan Flaherty the previous year. "The Rule 5's a bit of a crap shoot,...