This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The atmosphere at the Ed Smith Stadium complex would seem a lot stranger if the Orioles hadn't experienced the weirdness of a 2020 regular season. The separation and staggered arrivals became the norm. Getting back together has been celebrated - at the appropriate social distancing. "It's fun to get started again in spring training, Day One, pitchers and catchers," manager Brandon Hyde said during yesterday's Zoom conference call with the media. "We had a great day and looking forward to...

The reconfiguration of spring camp and non-roster candidates

The reconfiguration of spring camp and non-roster candidates
Pitchers and catchers are arriving today at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. We've made it this far. Smaller-scale workouts begin on Wednesday and broaden Feb. 22 with more players spread out on the back fields and over at Twin Lakes Park. There will be 73 players on the camp roster after Matt Harvey's deal is announced, two shy of capacity, but they're categorized as 40-man roster, non-roster invites and reserves. They won't be huddled together and making a mockery of the implemented...

40-man roster could require restructuring

40-man roster could require restructuring
Pitchers and catchers are required to report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in less than a week. The offseason is about to move into the spring training workout phase, followed by exhibition games - adjusted from the original schedule to eliminate longer-distance travel - played while everyone holds their breath. Not a bad idea during a pandemic. Reduce the risk of a positive test for COVID-19. The Orioles aren't a finished product and roster moves are coming while they're in camp. More...

Penning more thoughts on some relievers

Penning more thoughts on some relievers
Left-hander Fernando Abad, signed by the Orioles to a minor league contract in December, has been exceptional as the closer for Toros del Este in the Dominican Winter League. Abad made 10 appearances prior to the Caribbean World Series and didn't allow a run in 11 innings. He surrendered only three hits, walked one batter, struck out 10 and recorded six saves. Toros del Este is set to compete in the Caribbean World Series beginning Sunday at Estadio Teodoro Mariscal in Mexico. Abad will be a...

Inviting conversation about non-roster players in spring training

Inviting conversation about non-roster players in spring training
Is it safe to slip into spring training mode? Is it really going to happen, with Orioles pitchers and catchers reporting on Feb. 16 - one day after most or all of the beat crew arrives in Sarasota, Fla.? Multiple reports are feeding us optimism by the ladle. That's nice. But I'll repeat that teams were told back in October to prepare as though camps would open on time and the season would consist of 162 games. We only know that nothing has changed in that regard. No one has been instructed to...

Taking a few wrong turns

Taking a few wrong turns
Trying to predict moves in an unpredictable world is advised only if you're not putting down money. And I'm really talking about the baseball offseason. I get my share right. I also get some wrong. And sometimes I'm just a little surprised. I thought the Orioles would have no interest in bringing back Jonathan Villar, simply choosing to move on from a player they traded in December 2019, but they've spoken to his agent. A reunion remains a possibility. Villar obviously could play shortstop...

Cueing some curiosities in 2021

Cueing some curiosities in 2021
The Baltimore baseball media often was promised during manager Buck Showalter's tenure that its curiosity soon would be satisfied. Mostly, yes. Sometimes, no. I'm curious whether spring training is going to start on the dates set for each club. Of course, every team is being told to get ready for it. The same message was sent in October. What's the alternative? Better to keep that mindset and adjust later if necessary, rather than assume a delay and then be surprised when camp opens on time....

Orioles announce four minor league signings

Orioles announce four minor league signings
The Orioles announced four of their minor league signings this afternoon, with catcher Nick Ciuffo going unreported until today. The list also includes left-hander Fernando Abad and right-handers Claudio Custodio and Conner Greene. Abad and Greene were confirmed additions to the organization earlier this month. Ciuffo, who turns 26 in March, provides some catching depth that the organization has sought with Bryan Holaday and Martin Cervenka entering free agency. He's a left-handed hitter and...

Disorder in an early lineup projection

Disorder in an early lineup projection
An offseason exercise that doesn't require a home gym, but makes me sweat as if competing in a triathlon, is creating an Orioles lineup in December. Taking the players on the current 40-man roster and the likely invites to spring training and filling every position. Go nuts and, if you dare, also craft a bench, rotation and bullpen. But only if you've stretched prior to attempting it. A national publication seeks my assistance every winter, with a deadline prior to the Christmas holiday. The...

Sources: Orioles signing Abad to minor league contract

Sources: Orioles signing Abad to minor league contract
Conducting the usual search for veteran relievers during the offseason, the Orioles are on the verge of signing left-hander Fernando Abad to a minor league contract per multiple sources. Final details are being worked out, but the sides are in agreement. Abad will receive an invitation to spring training, which for the Orioles is supposed to begin with pitchers and catchers reporting to the Ed Smith Stadium complex on Feb. 16. The Orioles also held interest in Abad last winter and made an offer...

Nationals release veteran reliever Abad

Nationals release veteran reliever Abad
The Nationals released Fernando Abad this morning, cutting ties with the veteran reliever, who had been among the group of players waiting the last two weeks to be cleared to participate in summer training. Abad, a non-roster invitee to big league camp back in the spring, had been a viable candidate to make the opening day bullpen, all the more so after Major League Baseball announced this abbreviated season will begin with 30-man active rosters. But the left-hander, a native of the Dominican...

Nats to open against Yankees in prime time

Nats to open against Yankees in prime time
The Nationals will open defense of their 2019 World Series title on July 23 at Nats Park against the New York Yankees, according to broadcast sources. The likely first pitching matchup is tantalizing, with former Astros star Gerrit Cole taking on Nats ace Max Scherzer. This was supposed to be the World Series Game 5 matchup until Scherzer had to be scratched due to back and neck spasms. Cole was the top offseason free agent acquisition for the Yankees. He is a three-time All-Star whose 2.50 ERA...

Union creates fund for non-roster players in big league camps

Union creates fund for non-roster players in big league camps
The agreement struck last week between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association ensured all players on 40-man rosters would be paid a partial salary even if there's no 2020 season. But what about longtime big league players who aren't currently on 40-man rosters? That group was taken care of Friday when the union voted to establish an assistance fund for players with major league experience who were in spring training as non-roster invitees. The fund will pay anywhere from $5,000...

Nats invite 22 non-roster players to big league camp

Nats invite 22 non-roster players to big league camp
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals have invited 22 non-roster players to participate in big league camp, a group that includes a host of veterans with major league experience and a handful of prospects who aren't yet on the organization's 40-man roster. Among the veterans who signed minor league contracts and were extended big league invitations are: * Javy Guerra, who made 40 relief appearances for the Nationals last season with a 4.86 ERA and 1.248 WHIP and then pitched in a pair of...

Gio Gonzalez joins White Sox; many former Nats now free agents

Gio Gonzalez joins White Sox; many former Nats now free agents
Last week, former Nationals starter Tanner Roark got a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays for two years, worth $24 million. He has pitched for the Reds and the A's. Reliever Blake Treinen has a one-year contract with the L.A. Dodgers for $10 million. This week, southpaw Fernando Abad returned to the Nats on a minor league deal and an offer to head to West Palm Beach, Fla., for 2020 spring training. Meanwhile, Gio Gonzalez is moving to the Chicago White Sox. He joins former Nats Lucas Giolito and...

Lefty Abad reportedly signs minor league deal with Nats

Lefty Abad reportedly signs minor league deal with Nats
The Nationals will extend spring training invitations to a swath of players who sign minor league contracts this winter, and among those players will be a veteran reliever who previously pitched for the organization. Left-hander Fernando Abad has agreed to terms with the Nats on a minor league deal, according to The Athletic. The 34-year-old will compete with countless others in West Palm Beach, Fla., who hope to secure the one or two spots on the opening day roster that figure to be up for...

Orioles expressed interest in reliever Fernando Abad

Orioles expressed interest in reliever Fernando Abad
Four days at baseball's Winter Meetings didn't cause the Orioles to scrap their plans and edit their shopping list. Nothing really changed since the team's contingent arrived at the Manchester Grand Hyatt beyond a waiver claim that barely drew notice in the industry and won't impact the roster on opening day, and two pitching selections in the Rule 5 draft that provide starting options for a rotation lacking in numbers. While multiple starters and a veteran middle infielder remain the most...

Nats trade Abad to Athletics for minor leaguer Wooten (Robertson outrighted)

Nats trade Abad to Athletics for minor leaguer Wooten (Robertson outrighted)
The Nationals and Athletics have collaborated on a trade yet again. This time, the Nats are sending left-handed reliever Fernando Abad to Oakland for minor league outfielder John Wooten, a source confirms. MLB Network's Peter Gammons was first to report the trade. Abad was designated for assignment by the Nationals last week, giving the team 10 days to trade or release Abad, or assign him to the minor leagues if he cleared waivers. By sending Abad to the A's, the Nats got back Wooten, a...

Going over all of yesterday's happenings

Going over all of yesterday's happenings
Yesterday turned interesting in a hurry, huh? At first, we just had a run-of-the-mill offseason day, with teams quietly making tweaks to their 40-man rosters ahead of the midnight deadline to do so. The Nationals added Sammy Solis, Michael Taylor and Aaron Barrett to their 40-man roster and designated left-handers Fernando Abad and Tyler Robertson for assignment, leaving them with a full 40-man roster. Then, minutes later, I had a bunch of people in my Twitter timeline talking about how...

Nats add Solis, Taylor, Barrett to 40-man roster; Abad, Robertson DFA

Nats add Solis, Taylor, Barrett to 40-man roster; Abad, Robertson DFA
The Nationals added three players to their 40-man roster today, protecting left-hander Sammy Solis, outfielder Michael Taylor and right-hander Aaron Barrett from December's Rule 5 Draft. In order to clear space on the 40-man, left-handed relievers Fernando Abad and Tyler Robertson were designated for assignment. Midnight tonight is the deadline for teams to set their 40-man rosters ahead of the Rule 5 draft. With these moves, the Nationals now have a full 40-man roster. Solis, 25, is 10-4...