Nats announce 2021 minor league affiliate invitations
Nats announce 2021 minor league affiliate invitations
Byron Kerr
Nationals
The Nationals made it official today, inviting four organizations to become minor league affiliates in Major League Baseball's new player development structure. The affiliates are the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, Double-A Harrisburg Senators, high Single-A Wilmington Blue Rocks and low Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals. The invites have not yet been formally accepted, but Wilmington already officially accepted the invitation on Twitter and the other three affiliates have current longstanding...
Washington Nationals extend invitations to Minor League affiliates
Washington Nationals extend invitations to Minor League affiliates
Doug Miller
Nationals
The Washington Nationals have invited the following four organizations to become Minor League affiliates in Major League Baseball's new player development structure, pending acceptance of the invitation. Those affiliates are as follows: · Rochester Red Wings - Triple-A · Harrisburg Senators - Double-A · Wilmington Blue Rocks - High-A · Fredericksburg Nationals - Low-A "We are very excited to extend the invitations to these four affiliates and their communities," said...
Orioles generate economic impact across Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region through minor league and community partnership network
Orioles generate economic impact across Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region through minor league and community partnership network
Doug Miller
Orioles
The Orioles are pleased to announce that the club has invited the Aberdeen IronBirds, Bowie Baysox, Delmarva Shorebirds, Norfolk Tides, and the communities they serve to continue as economic development and entertainment partners. The Orioles will also continue to collaborate with the community of Frederick, Md., where the club has worked with Major League Baseball (MLB) and Prep Baseball Report (PBR) to bring the MLB Draft League to Frederick residents. The MLB Draft League is the first league...
Frederick Keys will not be an O's affiliate in 2021
Frederick Keys will not be an O's affiliate in 2021
Steve Melewski
Orioles
The Single-A Frederick Keys will not be part of the Orioles organization in the 2021 season, an industry source confirmed today. The Keys, who have been an O's affiliate since 1989, will become the sixth team in the MLB Draft League, a new summer amateur wood-bat league expected to attract draft-eligible players. Baseball America was the first to report the news about Frederick. It appears that Frederick may still have longshot hopes to be an affiliate for some organization in 2021. The Keys...
What should Nats prioritize in search for new corner outfielder?
What should Nats prioritize in search for new corner outfielder?
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
We've talked for weeks about the Nationals' need for a new corner outfielder, and that need officially became official Tuesday when Adam Eaton (surprisingly?) returned to the White Sox four years after they traded him to Washington in one of the most significant trades in club history. The Nats, of course, could've retained Eaton had they picked up his $10.5 million option for 2021. They chose not to, and that decision revealed the following about them: 1) They didn't believe the...
O's expected to field two GCL teams, notes on shortstop and more
O's expected to field two GCL teams, notes on shortstop and more
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Baseball America recently reported that baseball officials have tweaked the restructuring of the minor leagues. Previously, each organization was expected to have five domestic farm clubs - four full-season teams and one complex-based team. That is a Rookie-level club playing at their spring training complex. But Baseball America reported that officials are now expected to allow clubs to field two complex-based clubs. This would allow organizations with two such teams to employ as many as 180...
Thinking about the Boras scrums and more on trades
Thinking about the Boras scrums and more on trades
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The absence of in-person Winter Meetings leaves us with one more burning question during hot stove season: Does agent Scott Boras make house calls? It still wouldn't replicate the circus atmosphere that unfolds in hotel lobbies. Or, in one instance, a hallway with Boras pressed against a gift shop glass window while a nervous security employee attempted to herd the group to a less-congested area. Good luck with that. The scene resembled the one that closed "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," with...
Elias on virtual meetings, shortstop, starting pitching, more
Elias on virtual meetings, shortstop, starting pitching, more
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The virtual Winter Meetings are making Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias yearn for the standard setup, which couldn't exist in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Elias couldn't meet with beat writers in his hotel suite this afternoon, instead dispersing the usual nuggets of information via a Zoom conference call. "It's not the same," Elias said. "I think all of us take the Winter Meetings for granted and we groan about some of the repetition of it, but I think...
Garrett Stallings on his southeast Virginia roots and joining the O's
Garrett Stallings on his southeast Virginia roots and joining the O's
Steve Melewski
Orioles
When the Orioles traded shortstop José Iglesias to the Los Angeles Angels last week for minor league pitchers Garrett Stallings and 19-year-old Venezuelan right-hander Jean Pinto, it was clear that executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias was a fan of Stallings' work in the Southeastern Conference. The Orioles did their homework on Stallings and his three years in the SEC. The pitcher did some homework of his own on his new team. He knew some of the four Angels minor league...
Iglesias: "Baltimore was special for me"
Iglesias: "Baltimore was special for me"
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
José Iglesias didn't expect his phone to ring Wednesday night with news that would shake up the professional side of his life and spark emotions on the personal side. He didn't expect to hear from Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias or to be told that he was traded again. He fell in love with the Orioles and felt the sting of a sudden breakup. Elias informed Iglesias that the veteran shortstop was going to the Angels in exchange for minor league pitchers Garrett...