I don't have information on all of the forums at FanFest, but I do know that Brian Matusz is participating in one that features a group of Orioles relievers. This doesn't mean that Matusz is assured of being assigned to the bullpen on opening day. He's going to work out as a starter in spring training. But he ended 2012 as a reliever and that's how he'll enter FanFest. Matusz was 6-10 with a 4.87 ERA in 34 games last year. He posted a 5.42 ERA as a starter and a 1.35 ERA as a...

He is mentioned often as being one of the Orioles' top pitching prospects. After this past season, Baseball America rated right-hander Mike Wright as the club's No. 8 prospect and he ranks fourth among pitchers after Dylan Bundy (No. 1), Kevin Gausman (No. 2) and Eduardo Rodriguez (No. 5). Wright began this past year at Single-A Frederick and went 5-2 with a 2.91 ERA in eight starts for the Keys. He moved to Double-A Bowie in late May, but after just two Baysox starts, he spent about five...

The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with right-hander Tommy Hunter on one-year contracts, thus avoiding arbitration. Hunter, 26, was 7-8 with a 5.45 ERA (133.2IP, 81ER) in 33 games (20 starts) for the Orioles in 2012. In his last 10 appearances of the year (all in relief), Hunter was 3-0 with a 0.71 ERA (12.2IP, 1ER). The Orioles now have seven arbitration eligible players: catcher Matt Wieters, infielder Chris Davis, left-handers Brian Matusz and Troy Patton, and...

The Orioles are down to seven arbitration-eligible players who haven't agreed to terms. The club announced this afternoon that it reached agreement with pitcher Tommy Hunter on a one-year deal. Hunter, 26, went 7-8 with a 5.45 ERA in 33 games, including 20 starts, in 2012. He allowed 32 home runs in 133 2/3 innings. Hunter began the year in the rotation before spending time at Triple-A Norfolk and the Orioles' bullpen. He was 4-8 with a 5.71 ERA as a starter and 3-0 with a 3.71 ERA in...

Nationals minor league Player of the Year Matt Skole, who hit 27 homers and 92 RBIs for low Single-A Hagerstown, has been invited to major league spring training, a baseball source has confirmed. The news was first reported by Skole's brother Jake

Ross Detwiler loves the puck. It's not unusual to see a throwback lid resting on the shelf of his locker, and his love of the St. Louis Blues stems from growing up in St. Louis. So what was the Nationals lefty doing over the weekend at Kettler Capitals Iceplex for a Capitals practice? Turns out the longtime Blues fan may be switching allegiances. During the USO Holiday Tour - in which a group of athletes including Nationals teammate Craig Stammen traversed four countries, visiting military...

Given the state of the Nationals' roster going into this offseason, general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Johnson could have essentially run out pretty much the exact same team in 2013. They could have left Bryce Harper in center field and put Michael Morse in left. They could have kept Jayson Werth as their leadoff hitter, given the high on-base percentage Werth put up last season in that spot. They could have offered Edwin Jackson a qualifying offer or made an effort to re-up the...

It would be highly surprising if the Orioles didn't announce manager Buck Showalter's contract extension this week, leading up to Saturday's FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center. Showalter keeps downplaying the importance of the extension. He almost seems embarrassed by the money he's already made in this game. "Honestly, the way I judge whether or not I've got enough money is, if I can walk into Target and buy anything I want, I'm in good shape," Showalter said Saturday on...

So, were there any exciting sporting events over the weekend? I heard there were some. Meanwhile, back on the baseball beat, what if there was a team and only four other teams made more errors than said team last season? What if just three squads had a lower fielding percentage than said team? Could that squad be a good fielding team in 2013? It can if you are talking about the Orioles, and of course we are. Tampa Bay, a team with a recent history of very solid defense, led the American...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter filled in for Dave Johnson yesterday as one of the co-hosts of "Wall to Wall Baseball" on MASN. He passed the audition. In case you missed it, I asked Showalter whether the Orioles would have to be overwhelmed by an offer in order to trade shortstop J.J. Hardy, who's coveted by the Detroit Tigers. "What's the word above overwhelmed? Stunned?" he said. "I like J.J. He's pretty good and he's going to have a big offensive year for us this year, I think....