Whenever a team acquires a player in the offseason, some fans invariably asks the question, "Why didn't the Orioles do that?" Some have asked that of the Nationals' trade for pitcher Gio Gonzalez. The Nationals gave up four prospects - three of their top nine as rated by Baseball America - to get the 26-year-old lefty. It was a deal where both sides got what they sought and the Nationals clearly feel they can contend in 2012 and gave up some potential key pieces of their future to go for...

The announcement of the blockbuster trade drew a few gasps at the prospects the Nationals gave up to get left-hander Gio Gonzalez from the Oakland A's. Those prospects represented among the top players in the franchise's coveted minor league system, according to Baseball America. Specifically, Brad Peacock (No. 3), A.J. Cole (No. 4), Derek Norris (No. 9) and Tom Milone (No.16 in 2010) were considered among the best the Nationals had to offer. This deal was pretty much the package the...

For the fans who keep asking me why the Orioles didn't trade for left-hander Gio Gonzalez and whether this is further proof that the organization isn't interested in winning, please take a moment to consider the possibility that executive vice president Dan Duquette didn't have enough prospects to offer. Crazy, I know, but let's run with it. The Athletics pried right-handers Brad Peacock and A.J. Cole, left-hander Tommy Milone and catcher Derek Norris from the Nationals. That's too much,...

There are all kinds of reasons to make a trade - you're trying to fill a hole, you're trying to loosen a positional logjam, you need to create a pathway for a promising young player. The Nationals' acquisition Thursday afternoon of left-hander Gio Gonzalez from the Oakland A's in exchange for four prospects solves a glaring need in the Washington rotation: someone to log lots of innings and take the pressure off younger starters coming off injuries. Both sides have agreed in principle to...

According to this tweet from ESPN's Keith Law, the Nationals have finally landed a front-line starting pitcher they've been seeking, dealing four prospects to the Oakland A's in exchange for left-hander Gio Gonzalez. We're still waiting definitive word from the Nationals, of course, but if the deal goes down as reported, the A's got quite a haul for the 26-year-old southpaw, who is under team control through 2015. The Nationals' package in the 4-for-1 swap included right-hander Brad...

Here are two things I feel are quite true about baseball: * Defense is often underrated. * Defense is very hard to statistically quantify. I have heard Buck Showalter talk often enough about run prevention to realize he values defense. I think most managers understand a run saved is pretty much equal to a run knocked in. We hail a player with a two- or three-RBI game, but sometimes overlook the outfielder that made the diving catch in the fifth inning that kept two runs from scoring. You can...

The Nationals continue to talk to the A's about a blockbuster swap for left-hander Gio Gonzalez, and they're moving closer to locking in a veteran utility man that manager Davey Johnson has wanted to add all offseason. According to baseball sources with knowledge of the negotiations, the Nationals are closing in on a deal with 36-year-old Mark DeRosa, whose versatility would fit well with Johnson's rejiggered bench. The right-handed-hitting DeRosa is a 14-season major leaguer and has played...

Yesterday, I gave you a sneak peek at Baseball America's list of the top 10 Orioles prospects heading into the 2012 season. Here's the "Best Tools" portion of the report: Best Hitter for Average: Manny Machado Best Power Hitter: Aaron Baker Best Strike-Zone Discipline: Tyler Kelly Fastest Baserunner: Glynn Davis Best Athlete: Xavier Avery Best Fastball: Dylan Bundy Best Curveball: Dylan Bundy Best Slider: Mike Wright Best Changeup: Dan Klein Best Control: Oliver Drake Best Defensive...

The Baltimore Orioles are looking for the new voice of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The search is on for a public address announcer for home games at Oriole Park beginning in 2012, the ballpark's 20th Anniversary season. The new public address announcer will be only the third in Camden Yards history, following Rex Barney (1992-97) and David McGowan (1998-2011). After 14 seasons as public address announcer at Camden Yards, McGowan has stepped down from the position due to a change in his...

Here's another change for the 20th anniversary season at Camden Yards: The Orioles are searching for a new voice to replace veteran public address announcer David McGowan, who has announced he will step down from his duties after 14 seasons. "It is with great sadness that I must step down as public address announcer due to a career change," McGowan said in a team-issued statement. "I feel so fortunate to have played even a small role in helping Orioles fans enjoy major league baseball in...