In 32 more days, I'll be boarding a flight to Sarasota for my 16th spring training on the Orioles beat. The players, managers and top executives have changed along the way. So have the home complexes and my employers. But I'm pretty sure that I get stuck with the same rental car every year. Executive vice president Dan Duquette hasn't crossed every item off his to-do list. He still needs to add at least one more hitter, and we're not sure whether he's done searching for starting...

Since it's now the dead of winter and the holidays are long since over, I should probably be more down with all the negativity about the Orioles. The Yankees got two pitchers, Tampa is still loaded with pitchers, Toronto is on the rise and Boston is still pretty good, I bet. But after a weekend of reading more doom and gloom, I looked outside to see if the sun had come up and it had. I checked with myself to see if it would be OK to see something good about the ballclub for a few minutes and...

One down, six to go. The Nationals on Sunday signed left-hander Gio Gonzalez on a long-term contract extension. The five-year, $42 million deal includes team options for 2017 and 2018. It's the largest guaranteed deal ever for a pitcher eligible for arbitration for the first time and comes three weeks after Gonzalez joined Washington in a six-player swap from the A's. If the Nationals exercise both their options, the value of the pact could be pushed to $65 million. With the deal, the...

The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with left-handed starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez on a contract extension through the 2016 season, with options for the 2017 and '18 campaigns, thus avoiding salary arbitration. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. The Nationals acquired Gonzalez from Oakland as part of a six-player trade on Dec. 23, 2011. The 26 year-old Gonzalez is coming off his finest big league season...

Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is 1-for-11 with an infield hit and five strikeouts in three Dominican Winter League games. He hasn't gotten a ball to the outfield. At this rate, the Orioles will be able to sign him to a minor league deal with a spring training invite. I had a nice conversation a few nights ago with former Orioles catcher Chris Hoiles. He's looking to get back into the organization where he played from 1989-1998. And he's pretty much willing to work in any...

Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Nationals are again making a strong pitch to sign free agent first baseman Prince Fielder. The on-again, off-again talks with Fielder and agent Scott Boras are apparently on again, according to a baseball source. Actually, there's some difference of opinion on whether the two sides ever stopped talking or whether the supposed impasse from earlier this week was just a means for Nationals owner Ted Lerner and general manager Mike Rizzo to have some...

In case I failed to mention this transaction in a previous entry, I'll pass along today that the Orioles have purchased the contract of infielder/outfielder Peter Fatse from the Newark Bears, according to the independent league team's Web site. It's more minor league depth, and another player from Massachusetts (Hampden, to be exact.) Here's what I know about Fatse after doing a little research: He's 24 and a former 24th-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers out of the University of...

This weekend, I'm taking a look at some Orioles minor league topics that will be on display and a look back at the Yankees big night of acquiring pitching. * Orioles first-round draft pick Dylan Bundy appears likely to begin next season pitching for the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds. As he begins his first pro season in 2012, he will almost certainly be on an innings limit of around 120 or so. That will lead to the club having to decide how they go about having Bundy get those innings. A...

So much for the Yankees being quiet this winter. I blinked last night and they acquired two frontline starters. It must be nice to slot Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda behind CC Sabathia. The Yankees are about seven deep in starters right now, and they'd love to dump A.J. Burnett. They'll gladly drive him to your front door. Last night's activity takes the Yankees off the market for free agent Edwin Jackson. I'm still loving the idea of a Scott Boras package-deal involving Jackson,...

All seven of the Nationals who are eligible have exercised their right to file for salary arbitration. According to the Major League Baseball Players Association, Friday was the deadline, and the sides must exchange figures by Tuesday. Right-handers Jordan Zimmermann and Tyler Clippard, catcher Jesus Flores, first baseman/outfielder Michael Morse, and left-handers John Lannan, Tom Gorzelanny and Gio Gonzalez beat the deadline. The period for filing began Jan. 5 and MLBPA reports that 142...