The Orioles and left-hander Troy Patton have agreed to an $815,000 contract with awards and performance bonuses to avoid salary arbitration, according to his agents. Patton, who's represented by CAA Baseball, made $483,500 last season while going 1-0 with a 2.43 ERA in 54 games. Left-handers hit .212 against him. Teams have until 1 p.m. to reach agreements with their arbitration-eligible players before the two sides exchange figures, with hearing dates set up next month. Executive vice...

The Nationals have avoided arbitration with left-hander Ross Detwiler, as the two sides agreed to terms on a $2.3375 million deal with performance bonuses for the 2013 season. Detwiler will earn $25,000 if he reaches 200 innings pitched this season, according to CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman. Detwiler's agency, CAA Sports, announced the terms of the deal. Another CAA client up for arbitration, Drew Storen, agreed to a $2.5 million contract with the Nats that includes performance bonuses...

Sixteen months ago, Drew Storen was putting the finishing touches on a 43-save season which, in the eyes of many, made him one of the top young closers in baseball. Today, Storen finds himself a set-up guy, a pitcher who had hoped to put a crushing blown save behind him and prove he could still close at an elite level, but instead will be primarily working the eighth inning this season in front of the Nationals' new $28 million man, Rafael Soriano. Storen has been on quite a professional...

There have been some big changes around the Nats organization this week, including a new closer. The Nationals announced that they agreed to a two-year, $28 million deal with former Yankees reliever Rafael Soriano. In the reliever's introductory press conference yesterday, GM Mike Rizzo announced that while Soriano would be the closer, Drew Storen would still be an important part of the 'pen. Yesterday, Storen agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with $1 million in performance bonuses...

Yesterday proved to be one of the busiest days of the offseason, with the press conference for executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter followed by a stop inside the Orioles' clubhouse to interview players taking part in the minicamp, pitcher Miguel Gonzalez confirming that he wouldn't pitch for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, rosters being announced for the WBC and news that second baseman Brian Roberts underwent sports hernia surgery last month. I half...

From time to time, the debate begins again. There are plenty of Orioles fans and some in the media that believe Jim Johnson, if given the chance, would be an excellent starting pitcher because he has several quality pitches. As for Johnson, he is not campaigning for a shot at the rotation. In fact, he said last night, he figures he's now likely a bullpen pitcher for good. "I think that has gone by the wayside honestly," Johnson said. "I think that time is long gone and I'm comfortable...

Right in time for FanFest, Orioles fans have been given plenty of news this week to discuss. The biggest: Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette will both be with the team for a long time. Both agreed to extensions through 2018, and they met with the media at a press conference yesterday at Camden Yards. MASN captured the full press conference, which can be viewed here, and kept you updated with all of the latest Orioles news this week. Center fielder Adam Jones is headed to the World Baseball...

Major League Baseball announced its provisional rosters for the World Baseball Classic this afternoon, and two guys on the Nationals' 40-man roster are in line to participate in the event. Danny Espinosa is on the roster for Team Mexico. Espinosa was born in Santa Ana, Calif., but his father is Mexican. Nats outfielder Roger Bernadina is also set to participate in the WBC; the 28-year-old is on the Netherlands' provisional roster. Team USA's roster does not have any Nats players. Another...

The Nationals introduced their new right-handed reliever, Rafael Soriano, at Nats Park this evening, and while general manager Mike Rizzo was quick to say that he still thinks highly of Drew Storen, he left no doubt as to who the Nats plan on utilizing as their closer. "Suffice it to say, Raffy is here to pitch the ninth," Rizzo said. "He has done it successfully everywhere he has been and we expect him to continue that." The Nats agreed to terms Tuesday with Soriano to a two-year, $28...

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts revealed tonight that he underwent sports hernia surgery on Dec. 20 similar to the procedure that two of his teammates endured over the past year. He's resumed workouts in Sarasota and said he's feeling good, with no concerns about his availability for the start of spring training. Dr. William Meyers performed the surgery in Philadelphia, just as he did with Nick Markakis last January and Brian Matusz in October. Roberts consulted with both players, who...