Orioles center fielder Adam Jones describes himself as happy that he avoided a pending Friday arbitration hearing as he and the club settled on his 2012 contract tonight. But he said he had not heard anything yet from the Orioles about talk of a possible contract extension. "Not to my knowledge," Jones said when asked if contract extension talks have begun. "Maybe internally (among the Orioles) with themselves, but not that I know of. I don't personally know of any talks. If you talk to...

The Orioles have signed center fielder Adam Jones to a one-year contract, avoiding an arbitration hearing that was scheduled for Friday morning in St. Petersburg, Fla. Jones, 26, batted .280/.319/.466 and set career highs in games (151), doubles (26), home runs (25), RBIs (83), stolen bases (12) and total bases (264). He was named Most Valuable Oriole by the media covering the team. Jones was the Orioles' last arbitration-eligible player without a contract. They started out with nine and...

The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with center fielder Adam Jones on a one-year contract, thus avoiding arbitration. Jones, 26, batted .280/.319/.466 in 2011 for the Orioles, setting career-highs in games (151), doubles (26), home runs (25), RBI (83), stolen bases (12) and total bases (264) on his way to being named Most Valuable Oriole.

Ever watch the ballgirls or ballboys stationed along the outfield foul lines at Camden Yards make a nice grab of a foul fly or grounder and think, "Hey, I could do that!"? Well, now's your opportunity. Come Sunday, March 4, the Orioles will conduct an open tryout to field a new group of, er, ballpersons for 2012. The tryouts will occur - where else? - Camden Yards and will be judged by a panel of O's front office members and WBAL Radio sportscaster Keith Mills. Outgoing and athletic men...

The Orioles have announced they will conduct an open tryout to find ballgirls and ballboys for the 2012 season at Oriole Park on Sunday, March 4. The judges will include members of the Orioles' front office as well as WBAL Broadcaster Keith Mills. Outgoing and athletic men and women ages 18 and older who are interested in serving as ballboys and ballgirls for the Orioles during the upcoming 2012 season are invited to try out for a position at Camden Yards beginning at 1 p.m. on March...

VIERA, Fla. - Are there four more glorious words in the English language than "pitchers and catchers report"? But before the Nationals' batteries charge from Space Coast Stadium to the Carl Barger Baseball Complex - OK, it's actually more of a leisurely stroll, but after nearly five months off, the pace will be quickened - here are the five most important questions facing the club between now and the April 5 season opener at Wrigley Field in Chicago: Is Bryce Harper ready for prime time?...

A year ago at this time, the Nationals were flush with catchers. Ivan Rodriguez was entering the second season of a two-year contract and Wilson Ramos, acquired the previous summer in a trading deadline deal from Minnesota for Matt Capps, was poised for a breakthrough and pushing for playing time. Jesus Flores was finally ready to return after missing most of two seasons with a variety of shoulder injuries and Derek Norris was waiting in the wings in the minors, ready to shake off a concussion...

Because so many of you must be curious, I'll reveal that my car passed the emissions inspection. The entire test lasted about two minutes. So worth the drive to Westminster. I've got more items to cross off my to-do list before Friday morning's early flight to Sarasota, but I'll keep at least one eye on the blog. There's still a good chance that the Orioles sign center fielder Adam Jones to a one-year deal before Friday's arbitration hearing. Executive vice president Dan Duquette seems...

The Orioles may actually have a chance to exceed expectations this year. That is because it sure seems expectations for a season have never been lower in recent memory. Maybe the fans will be wrong, as many were last year when they predicted a .500 finish and some were even talking about the team being a playoff contender. The Orioles were coming off a 34-23 finish the year before and the young pitchers had excelled down the stretch. Vlad Guerrero was signed and most of the fans seem very...

The wait is over. Well, sort of. You can't buy single-game tickets to see the Nationals at Nationals Park quite yet. But at least you now have a date to mark on your calendar, as the team has announced single-game tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 8. Tickets may be purchased online at nationals.com/tickets, by calling 888-632-NATS (6287) or by visiting the Nationals Park main box office at Half and N streets, SE. Fans can register now at nationals.com/tickets for the...