NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed the team has a deal in place with free agent starter Dan Haren, but he wasn't willing to delve into too many details on the arrangement with the veteran starter just yet. Rizzo and the Nats will wait on Haren to complete a physical before discussing his health and how he could impact the team. Haren will fly to D.C. tomorrow and if everything goes well, Rizzo said they should have everything wrapped up with the 33-year-old...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter isn't antsy about the club's failure to make a trade at the Winter Meetings. As he said, it's "just the opposite." "We value our players," he said. "If someone doesn't value them the way we do, then we keep them. I'm the field manager, and I'm about not just the 40-man roster, but everybody. I've talked to four or five of our players since we've been here, just checking in on them, and I'm trying to stay focused on that. I like...

The Orioles today announced that their exhibition game on Wednesday, March 6 will be played against Team Spain at 1:05 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium, as opposed to Team Brazil as originally listed. Season ticket holders at Ed Smith Stadium will receive complimentary tickets as part of their season package to the World Baseball Classic exhibition game, while all single game tickets will go on sale January 26. Prices for the WBC exhibition will be $15 for Infield and Lower Box (regularly $24 and...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter just spent 30 minutes addressing the media in the workroom here at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. Here are a few of the highlights. I'll post quotes later in the afternoon. * Showalter said he isn't antsy that the Orioles haven't made a trade and he wouldn't want them to if other executives don't place the same value on his players. * Reliever Pedro Strop will pitch for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Davey Johnson just spent about half an hour talking with reporters here at the Winter Meetings, addressing topics ranging from Adam LaRoche to Mark DeRosa's karaoke skills to Danny Espinosa's job security to how to turn the Cubs around. I'm not exactly sure why Johnson was asked about the Cubs, but he was. Here are some quick hits from Johnson's session with the media, with expanded quotes to come in a bit: * After a 98-win season in 2012, the Nationals will go into...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - As we wait on the results of Dan Haren's physical, we're hearing more word come in that other teams had some concerns when they were going over the veteran right-hander's medicals. The Boston Globe is reporting that the Red Sox did not like what they saw when looking at Haren's hip. I've heard increased buzz that the hip was an area of concern with other teams, as well. The Nationals have agreed to terms on a one-year, $13 million deal, but they'll need to get...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - So what is the Orioles' budget for signing players for the 2013 season? Good for you if you can get Dan Duquette to provide you with a number on that, because he almost certainly will not. The general assumption is that it's likely to be similar to last year and that would put it in the $85 million range, give or take some greenbacks. Last night, Duquette said he felt the Orioles would be paying about $22 million more to the nine arbitration-eligible players than they...

Right-hander Dan Haren fits into the ideal mold of what Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo looks for in a starting pitcher. At 6-foot-5 and 215 lbs., Haren will be an imposing veteran presence on the mound in Nationals Park, and be a perfect complement to the Nats' already lethal rotation. Haren would match left-hander Ross Detwiler as the tallest of the five starters: Stephen Strasburg is 6-foot-4, Gio Gonzalez is 6-foot, Jordan Zimmermann is 6-foot-2 and Detwiler is 6-foot-5. Detwiler...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - When teams make a major move, there's often a minor transaction that accompanies the bigger, flashier one. Often, it happens days, even weeks after the headline-grabbing news, and it's relegated to much smaller type - or barely noticed at all. By agreeing to terms with right-hander Dan Haren on a deal reportedly worth $13 million for one year, the Nationals solved one of the major items on general manager Mike Rizzo's checklist for the Winter Meetings. Assuming he passes...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Fred Ferreira, the Orioles' executive director of international recruiting, has signed 61 players who reached the majors. Pitcher Miguel Gonzalez was the latest. Who will be the 62nd? "Probably (Henry) Urrutia," he said earlier today, referencing the Cuban outfielder who signed with the Orioles in July. Urrutia remains in Haiti, awaiting a visa that will allow him to join a team in the Dominican Winter League. The Orioles eventually would move him to Sarasota. The...