After a season where the Orioles finished 10th in the American League in team ERA and 12th in starting pitcher ERA, it's pretty clear they'll need to pitch better to get back in the playoffs in 2014. But how to upgrade the rotation, in particular, after O's starters posted a 4.57 ERA in 2013? Everyone wants an ace, but we know that there are not any available in this free agent class and getting one via a deal is very unlikely. That said, here is a look at five free agent pitchers that...

The Orioles announced today that infielder Dan Johnson and outfielder Chris Dickerson have been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Johnson and Dickerson will be removed from the 40-man roster, allowing the Orioles to clear room for players they need to protect in the upcoming Rule 5 draft. Both are expected to decline their assignments and elect free agency. Johnson went 0-for-5 in three games played for the Orioles this season. In 138 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Norfolk,...

The Orioles today announced that they have outrighted infielder Dan Johnson and outfielder Chris Dickerson to Triple-A Norfolk. Johnson, 34, went 0-for-5 in three games with the Orioles after having his contract selected on September 13. He batted a combined .250/.378/.439 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI in 138 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees system (133 games) and Norfolk (five games) in 2013. Dickerson, 31, batted .238/.266/.400 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 56...

Former Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman and coach Matt Williams was named manager of the Washington Nationals on Thursday. Bob Baum, an Associated Press writer based in Phoenix who covers the Diamondbacks, remembers Williams as a player for Arizona. "I covered him since he was a player in his first year," Baum said. "He is a classic old-school baseball type guy. He is very straightforward. I like that he was always straightforward with us, no baloney. "He is exceedingly honest and to...

Randy Knorr might not have gotten the Nationals' managerial job, but he will return as the team's bench coach next season. And Knorr says he's thrilled to be back in that role. Knorr, who had been one of a handful of candidates to interview for the Nats' managerial vacancy, finalized his deal to return as bench coach today, he said. General manager Mike Rizzo and new Nationals manager Matt Williams both reached out to Knorr last week and let him know they hoped he would take the bench...

The contract of Orioles bullpen coach Bill Castro runs out today, and whether he returns in 2014 remains an uncertainty. Castro said he still hasn't been contacted by the Orioles, who hired Dave Wallace as their pitching coach earlier this week. Castro inherited the job Aug. 15 after Rick Adair took a personal leave of absence. "I haven't heard anything either way," said Castro, named the Orioles bullpen coach before the 2012 season. "The only thing I know is I see what you guys write....

General manager Mike Rizzo will introduce Matt Williams to the Washington media and Nationals fans tomorrow at 2 p.m. live on MASN HD. But this afternoon, Rizzo hopped on a conference call with reporters to discuss his hire of Williams as the Nats' next manager. Rizzo said that the Nationals had "a number of highly qualified candidates" inquire about their managerial opening in the last few weeks. But in the end, the organization went with the 47-year-old Williams, a five-time All-Star...

Now that the World Series is over, the Nationals can make it official: Matt Williams has been hired as their new manager. Williams, 47, becomes the fifth full-time manager in Nationals history. The team made the announcement late this morning, and Williams will meet with the media tomorrow afternoon during a 2 p.m. press conference that will be televised live on MASN HD. "I feel privileged and honored to be a part of this team," Williams said in a statement. "It's a wonderful group of...

The Washington Nationals today announced the hiring of 47-year-old Matt Williams as their field manager. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. This is the first big league managerial position of Williams' coaching career. Williams joins the Nationals organization after spending the previous four seasons on Kirk Gibson's coaching staff in Arizona, the last three as Diamondbacks' third base coach. "Matt has a wealth of knowledge...

The World Series is in the books. The Boston Red Sox are your 2013 champions, bringing an end to quite an entertaining Fall Classic that left us with no shortage of dramatic plays and close calls to discuss around the water cooler. The Red Sox were the most complete team in the postseason, and they earned the title. It marks quite a turnaround from a disastrous 2012 season and is yet another reminder that you never know what's going to happen in this game. In case you missed it, we also got...