DALLAS - The Nationals' search for a center fielder who can hit leadoff may lead to Boston, where the Red Sox could be willing to part with an outfielder in exchange for a pitcher. New Boston general manager Ben Cherington is dangling Ryan Kalish and Josh Reddick in hopes that he can pry an arm from the Nationals, according to a major league source. Kalish is a 23-year-old left-handed hitter who reached the majors in 2010 and hit .252 with hour homers and 24 RBIs and stole 10 bases in 53...

DALLAS - Is the balance of power in the National League East shifting? The Nationals came to the Winter Meetings with money to spend and holes to fill, guaranteeing that general manager Mike Rizzo will be among the more popular executives at the Hilton Anatole. Last night, the newly christened Miami Marlins landed their second huge free agent of the offseason, agreeing to a six-year, $106 million deal for shortstop Jose Reyes, who joins ex-Padres closer Heath Bell (three years, $27 million)...

DALLAS - That's technically correct. Yesterday wasn't supposed to count. The Winter Meetings officially begin today. So why am I so tired already? Maybe it's from having to change rooms when I returned to my hotel around midnight. The temperature inside had reached 100 degrees, according to a maintenance guy who used some sort of infra-red light, pointed toward the ceiling vent, to determine that I could roast a chicken in my bed. Talk about a Rotisserie league ... (Sorry, that's the...

DALLAS - Looks like the Nationals, like most of baseball, are balking at the notion of paying left-hander C.J. Wilson north of $100 million to solidify their rotation. A source at the Winter Meetings told me tonight that the Nats are moving their focus to the other two top free agent pitchers, lefty Mark Buehrle and right-hander Roy Oswalt. This is typical of baseball's biggest offseason gathering: A free agent shoots for the moon, teams bristle at his asking price and the clubs move on to...

DALLAS - When new Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette told me last week that "by the first of the year, I think we will have a very, very strong international recruiting department here. We will add veteran baseball people, scouts and executives," he wasn't kidding. It appears the Orioles' international program went from 0 to 60 in about three seconds. Duquette said he would upgrade the international effort and it seems he has already done more here in a few days than the Orioles...

DALLAS - As soon as news broke earlier today that outfielder Manny Ramirez had applied for reinstatement, everyone here pretty much held the same thought: Would Dan Duquette try to sign him again? Duquette gave Ramirez an eight-year, $160 million deal with the Red Sox back in December 2000. Ramirez could be secured at a much lower rate this winter, and the Orioles are looking to add another bat to their lineup. The designated hitter slot is open, but is Duquette open to a reunion? He...

DALLAS - Dan Duquette and Lee Thomas are working together again. Thomas was hired today as a special assistant to the Orioles' executive vice president of baseball operations. Most recently, Thomas worked as a pro scout for the Milwaukee Brewers from 2004-2006. Prior to that time, he worked for six seasons as special assistant to the general manager and assistant general manager for the Red Sox, working closely with Duquette the majority of those years. Thomas was general manager of the...

DALLAS - Just like last year, the Winter Meetings aren't waiting until their official Monday start for player news, and one of the first tidbits from the Hilton Anatole came in the form of reports that the Nationals have lost a guy off the bench they had hoped to re-sign. According to multiple media outlets, the Phillies have agreed to a two-year major league deal with outfielder Laynce Nix, ending the powerful left-handed hitter's tenure in D.C. after just one season. Nix, 31, posted career...

DALLAS - The Winter Meetings haven't officially started, but Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette already has met with a few teams and introduced his two latest front office hires to the media. Duquette is looking for a left-handed hitting outfielder who can back up Adam Jones in center and maybe platoon in left. He also wants to "support" the pitching staff and improve the club's defense - which might take us back to that left-handed hitting outfielder. The local media met with...

DALLAS - It appears that the Orioles are quite serious about beefing up their international scouting efforts under new executive vice president Dan Duquette. Fred Ferreira, who was hired officially today as the Orioles' executive director of international recruiting, said he has already reached verbal agreements to hire 10 new international scouts. He said they will work in the Dominican, Venezuela, Curacao, Guatemala, Holland and Costa Rica. Ferreira also said there is a decent possibility...