Orioles pitcher Miguel Gonzalez said he will decline an offer to pitch for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Gonzalez's wife is expecting their first child, which factored into his decision. It's also clear that the Orioles would prefer that he stay in camp. "Obviously, this is more important than me going down there," he said. "This is my first big league spring training. I'll be focused on doing my stuff here first. "It was a tough decision, but you always have to think about...

Michael Morse joined the Nationals organization on June 28, 2009, coming over from the Mariners in return for outfielder Ryan Langerhans. At the time, Morse had just 300 major league at-bats under his belt, having struck out 65 times and had hit just three home runs and in his brief big league tenure. He was a 27-year-old without a set position, a guy who broke into the major leagues as a shortstop despite the fact that he was 6-foot-5 and didn't have great quickness. Morse leaves the...

Did you ever imagine that Buck Showalter would one day become synonymous with the Orioles? The same guy who began his managerial career in pinstripes? The same guy who was named the first manager of the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks? The same guy hired and fired by the Texas Rangers? Showalter has a chance to guide the Orioles through the 2018 season after agreeing to a five-year extension. He took over the helm in August 2010. That's a little more than eight years on the job, if my math...

Now that is a contract extension. Both Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter get extensions through the 2018 season, so get used to this duo running the Orioles. By the way, Adam Jones' extension from May also runs through 2018. I sense a theme here. If Buck finishes this contract, he will have over eight seasons under his belt as Orioles manager and only Hall of Famer Earl Weaver will have managed the club longer. We can probably surmise a few things from yesterday's announcement. First of all,...

Catcher Matt Wieters was happy to learn today that the Orioles extended the contracts of executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter through the 2018 season. "I think it's great for the franchise to be able to keep two guys around who are two of the main parts of putting together the team last year," Wieters said. "I think the big thing is we're able to have two guys working together who have the same goals, and keep them together for an extended period of time. Your...

The Washington Nationals today acquired right-handed pitcher A.J. Cole, right-handed pitcher Blake Treinen and a player to be named in exchange for first baseman/outfielder Michael Morse. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Cole was originally selected by the Nationals in the fourth round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft before being dealt to the A's as part of the December 2011 trade that brought Gio Gonzalez to...

The Nationals have found a new home for Michael Morse, shipping the power-hitting outfielder/first baseman to the Mariners in a three-team deal that also involves the Athletics, according to an industry source. In return for the 30-year-old Morse, the Nationals will get minor league pitcher A.J. Cole, who the Nats traded to the A's in the Gio Gonzalez deal last winter. Washington will also get another prospect and a player to be named, according to the source. The Mariners will give up...

The Orioles just announced contract extensions through the 2018 season for executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter. The Showalter extension covers five years. He's set up to become the second-longest tenured manager in club history behind Earl Weaver. Showalter, 56, became the 17th full-time manager of the Orioles on Aug. 2, 2010 and has led the club to a 196-185 record in 381 regular season games. He guided the Orioles to the American League Division Series in 2012,...

The Orioles today announced contract extensions through the 2018 season for Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette and Manager Buck Showalter. A veteran of over two decades in baseball operations at the Major League level, including 11 of those seasons in a general manager role with the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox and Orioles, Duquette, 54, has utilized strong scouting and player development to construct contending franchises. In 2012 the Orioles made a 24-game...

The Orioles announced contract extensions through the 2018 season for executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter on Wednesday evening. They will hold a 10 a.m. press conference with the duo at Camden Yards on Thursday. The pair led the Orioles to a 24-win improvement in 2012, as the team went from 69-93 to 93-69 and posted its most wins and first playoff berth since 1997. From Aug. 1 to the end of the regular season, the Orioles went 38-20 and...