Bryan Harvey, the former big league pitcher and father of the O's top draft pick, said he expects negotiations with the Orioles to sign Hunter Harvey to heat up and maybe even conclude this week. "Hopefully, they start talking today," Bryan Harvey said. "They called last week and said be patient. They had a couple things they wanted to get done, so hopefully we get everything going and it gets done this week. "I don't think there should be that big of a holdup. It's not like we're...

The Nationals announced that they've signed 22 of the 39 players they selected in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, including eight of their first nine draft picks. Among those to have agreed to terms so far are right-hander Jacob Johansen (second round), third baseman Drew Ward (third), right-hander Austin Voth (fifth), third baseman Cody Gunter (sixth), first baseman Jimmy Yezzo (seventh), left-hander David Napoli (eighth), right-hander Jake Joyce (ninth) and shortstop Brennan Middleton...

On Thursday at Camden Yards, in a game the Orioles would win in 13 innings, Brian Matusz came on in relief of Kevin Gausman in the sixth inning. In the seventh inning, Boston scored twice off Matusz. Why is that significant? Because Boston would not score against the Orioles bullpen for the rest of the four-game series. Beginning with the eighth inning Thursday through the end of Sunday's game - when Jim Johnson ended it getting his 25th save - the Red Sox did very little against the O's...

The Washington Nationals have agreed to terms with 22 players selected in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft: right-handed pitcher Jacob Johansen (second round), third baseman Drew Ward (third round), right-handed pitcher Austin Voth (fifth round), third baseman/catcher Cody Gunter (sixth round), first baseman Jimmy Yezzo (seventh round), left-handed pitcher David Napoli (eighth round), right-handed pitcher Jake Joyce (ninth round), shortstop Brennan Middleton (10th round), shortstop David...

Triple-A Syracuse shortstop Zach Walters has really gotten hot at the plate in the past nine games. Especially the most recent six games, where he has connected for 12 hits. Walters has done so well that the International League announced today that Walters has been named Batter of the Week for the period from June 10-16. Walters is the first member of the Chiefs to win a weekly award this season. The week has also demonstrated Walters' power - he hit three of his 14 homers since June...

I spoke last night with a friend of mine who's one of these people who takes and analyzes everything literally. I might also throw in that this guy is not in any way, shape or form, a baseball person. His opinion of baseball is that the pitcher throws, and the batter hits and runs. According to him it's that simple. Luckily we all know better. In fairness, when this person mentioned that he watched yesterday's series finale with Boston, he said that he was impressed with the Orioles. I...

Looks like things didn't change all that much while I was away for the last few days. The Nationals picked up a dramatic win over the Indians on Saturday, plating seven runs and getting a huge ninth-inning, game-winning homer from the red-hot Anthony Rendon. You think maybe things will start to turn for the Nats, that they'll be able to ride a little momentum and start stringing together a few games of strong offensive production. Then they're shut out by the Indians yesterday, going...

As the Nationals struggled again to bring runners home in their 2-0 loss in Cleveland on Sunday, their fans must have been fuming. With apologies to Casey Stengel, or whoever initiated the quote that became the title of Jimmy Breslin's book chronicling the 1962 Mets, the question, "Can't anybody here play this game?" comes to mind. Eleven times, Washington hitters came to bat with at least one runner in scoring position, and eleven times, they failed to get the runner home. Four of...

I didn't sense a whole lot of enthusiasm on this blog over manager Buck Showalter's announcement that Jake Arrieta would start tonight's series-opener in Detroit. Arrieta lasted only four starts this season before being optioned for the first time. His last two starts at Triple-A Norfolk were bad. But it makes sense to give him the ball. Jason Hammel isn't ready to pitch tonight after wrestling with a stomach virus the past few days. It weakened him. It made him wonder why his young son...

He pitched for the Orioles for nine seasons, including the 1996 and 1997 playoffs, and Alan Mills returned to the O's organization last year. For the second season in a row, he is the pitching coach at short-season Single-A Aberdeen and will lead his staff of young hurlers into a new season for the IronBirds that begins at 7:35 p.m. tonight against Hudson Valley at Ripken Stadium. "I always wanted to get back (with the Orioles)," Mills said. "I'd been interested in doing that for several...