First things first: That report last night indicating that the Nationals had come to an agreement with Prince Fielder on an eight-year deal with an opt-out clause after the third season was erroneous. My sources tell me that no deal is imminent, though the Nationals continue to be interested in the slugging first baseman, but only on their terms. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweeted this morning that there is "something close to a final 4" on Fielder. Whether this constitutes reality or is...

I think we heard some comments at FanFest that helped answer some questions about spring training. For one, Nolan Reimold appears to be the clear favorite to be the starting left fielder. It sure seems to be his job to lose, as they say. Buck Showalter confirmed that Mark Reynolds will be the third baseman with Chris Davis at first. And it was pretty much confirmed that Jim Johnson will be in the bullpen, likely as the closer. All of this is subject to a late change, especially pending any...

There are times when interviewing executive vice president Dan Duquette is like being a contestant on "Wheel of Fortune." At any moment, I'm liable to blurt out, "I'd like to solve the puzzle!" Unfortunately, I haven't figured out his plans for a designated hitter. Maybe I should buy a vowel. The Orioles have watched Manny Ramirez take batting practice at least once since the Winter Meetings. It could be two or three times, but Duquette won't confirm it. His stock answer is he's...

That trade for Michael Morse is looking pretty good for the Nationals right now, don't you think? Following the announcement that Morse has signed a multi-year extension with the Nationals, the trade that brought his big bat to Washington two and a half years ago returns to the spotlight. On June 28, 2009, the Nationals sent outfielder Ryan Langerhans to Seattle for Morse. At the time, it was a trade of minor leaguers who both had had a taste of the majors, but each had not been able to...

A year ago, Orioles reliever Jason Berken had reporters at FanFest fussing over his weight loss. He dropped about 30 pounds over the winter, and we figured that a slimmer Berken could handle a heavier workload, whether he remained in the bullpen or earned a starting spot. Berken didn't look noticeably different yesterday as we chatted about his beloved Green Bay Packers - we agreed that giving quarterback Aaron Rodgers two weeks off was a mistake - but he's put on 10 to 15 pounds. And...

It's difficult to interpret Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo's prolonged silence on the subject of Prince Fielder. Either the club continues to negotiate with the free agent slugger in hopes that he'll man first base in 2012, or talks have again reached an impasse. There's really not much middle ground. One thing we do know: This is standard operating procedure from Rizzo, who clearly prefers the backroom, behind-the-scenes approach to his job, as opposed to those front office...

Another FanFest has come and gone. It was a fun day with around 9,000 fans, slightly fewer than last year, attending at the Baltimore Convention Center. FanFest always gets you ready for another season after a day of talking baseball and talking with Orioles players, coaches and front office staff. Over the next week or two, I'l continue to post some interviews, quotes and stories from the day. For today, here are some quotes from FanFest. Dan Duquette on his fan forum and meeting fans: ...

While addressing fans during this morning's forum for season ticket holders, executive vice president Dan Duquette causally mentioned that the Orioles signed the top amateur pitcher in Korea three days ago - a 17-year-old left-hander who wasn't identified by name. I stored the information in the back of my mind - the front was much too crowded - until I was freed up to do more research. I had no time today with all the FanFest commitments and constant blog updates. Coincidentally, a tweet...

Jim Johnson shook hands with reporters, smiled and said, "I don't know." Hey, we're supposed to ask the questions before you answer them. Johnson knew what was coming. Is he going to be a starter or reliever this season? "You guys probably know more than I do," he said. "I'll be in the bullpen. I'm pretty sure about that." As the closer? "We'll figure that out in the spring," he replied. The Orioles are leaning toward keeping Johnson in a relief role, and he could be the...

Brady Anderson was officially hired this week as special assistant to Dan Duquette, even though he has been doing some work for the club before that and did some work for the Orioles last year. "Last year, I had a condo at Triple-A (in Norfolk). You need to go everywhere. We have minor league affiliates close to Baltimore and you have to be willing to grind it out and go back to the minors. I like being in the trenches," he said. "I was around (the big league club) quite a bit last year...