The ramp-up back to baseball could be quick
If and when we get back to a point where baseball players can take the field, how long will it take before regular season games can be played? That's a good question that can only be answered when we know the start date. But a shortened second spring training of at least two weeks seems likely. Would two weeks be enough? Probably not, but the clock will be ticking fast once the game returns and I would not expect Major League Baseball officials to tell us they need four weeks to get ready. The...
Orioles

"We're in a holding pattern that we've never been in before"
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he keeps waking up with the mindset that he has "47 things to do" as part of his day. Then reality sets in, a new normal that he can't escape. There is no baseball for a man who's never home on this date. He's supposed to be deciding on the final roster cuts before opening day. Setting his rotation, bullpen and bench. But the coronavirus pandemic is changing lives. Hyde's days are spent in Sarasota, but with his wife and children and away from the...
Orioles

Group of 13 players still in West Palm Beach, none tested
Thirteen Nationals players, plus general manager Mike Rizzo, manager Davey Martinez and a skeleton crew of coaches, doctors, trainers and conditioning staff continue to ride out the coronavirus pandemic in West Palm Beach, Fla., though all have been instructed to take steps to ensure social distancing in an effort to prevent spread of the virus. Rizzo, who said three players and other staffers are now in Washington while others have returned to their various hometowns, said no players to date...
Nationals

Rizzo: Club focused on ensuring well-being of all its players
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said the organization was ready to step up to pay their minor league players if Major League Baseball did not move swiftly enough. During a morning teleconference, Rizzo said that, as a former minor league baseball player himself, he knows how difficult it is to make ends meet even without the threat of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic canceling games. "Very, very glad to see that Major League Baseball is beginning to take care of minor league players,"...
Nationals

Home confinement re-watch: 2019 NLDS Game 1
The Nationals' run last October, when viewed in its entirety, was thrilling. That doesn't mean every single game along the way matched that description. There were a few clunkers mixed into those 17 postseason games. And maybe the biggest clunker of them all came only 48 hours after the euphoric National League wild card win over the Brewers. Flying high from that dramatic victory, the Nats headed west to open their best-of-five NL Division Series with the powerhouse Dodgers. And if you were...
Nationals
How it might look in 2020: The O's rotation
How it might look in 2020: The O's rotation
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Over the next few weeks, let's take a look at some aspects of the Orioles and how they were shaping up at the time that spring training was halted. Today, a look at the rotation. To me the rotation was setting up this way: No. 1 - John Means: He was slated to be the opening day starter if the opener was going to be on March 26. Everything was pointing to that and Means was on schedule for that start. It just had not been announced yet. Means had a solid spring and looked confident and ready to...
Notes on LeBlanc opt-out date, minor league compensation and more
Notes on LeBlanc opt-out date, minor league compensation and more
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles trimmed their camp roster to 50 players yesterday afternoon and reached an important date involving left-hander Wade LeBlanc. Well, it seemed to carry a lot more significance prior to the opening of camp and baseball's complete shutdown. LeBlanc's minor league deal, agreed upon in late January, included a March 19 opt-out clause. He could request his release and the Orioles would have 48 hours to add him to their 40-man roster or allow the veteran to reenter free agency. There...
Elias on roster moves, draft, Mancini and more
Elias on roster moves, draft, Mancini and more
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles haven't emptied their spring training complex in Sarasota, but the number of players are dwindling. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias indicated this afternoon in a conference call that most of the Orioles returned home due to the coronavirus pandemic. They also were given the choice of going to Baltimore for informal workouts. "The general state of affairs in the Orioles organization is we have a small group of players that is still in Sarasota," he said. "Many...
A look at Orioles off the field during shutdown
A look at Orioles off the field during shutdown
Steve Melewski
Orioles
The Orioles held a conference call today with both executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias and senior vice president of community development and communications Jennifer Grondahl to discuss the current shutdown of baseball. Check Roch Kubatko's blog for Elias' updates on baseball operations and I will post Grondahl's comments on the business side for the club here. Grondahl's opening comments to reporters: "We're taking this situation one day at a time. As Mike (Elias)...
Orioles option four players
Orioles option four players
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles whittled their camp roster to 50 players this afternoon while making their first moves since baseball's shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Pitcher David Hess, infielder/outfielder Ryan Mountcastle, outfielder Cedric Mullins and infielder Ramón Urías have been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. No cuts had been announced since left-hander Keegan Akin was optioned to the Tides back on March 10. A few competitions gained some clarity today. Mullins was a candidate to make the...
MLB announces payments to minor leaguers during delay
MLB announces payments to minor leaguers during delay
Byron Kerr
Orioles
Minor league players will get some financial help while their seasons are delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Major League Baseball recently suspended spring training camps and announced the regular season would be delayed indefinitely. Minor League Baseball followed suit, announcing operations have been suspended until further notice as governments and public health officials work to contain the pandemic. This left minor league players without any games or financial means until the season...
Nats prospect watch: Crowe gaining valuable experience at every level
Nats prospect watch: Crowe gaining valuable experience at every level
Byron Kerr
Nationals
My continuing conversation with Nationals minor league pitching coordinator Brad Holman got to the point where I asked him if the coaching staff had used the World Series success by Nats starters when working with their future prospects. Holman said they did. Back in January he brought the pitchers together and showed them strategies and pitch selections that Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, Max Scherzer and others had implemented all the way to a title in 2019. After all, when you have the...
Home confinement re-watch: 2019 NL wild card game
Home confinement re-watch: 2019 NL wild card game
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
There's no baseball to watch right now, at least no live baseball. And there's not going to be any for a while. So how do we get our fix during this most unusual time in our lives? We watch old baseball games. There's a whole treasure trove of classic games available out there. And at some point, we might just get to them all. But for now, where better to begin than with the most recent games the Nationals played? Yes, it's time to re-watch - and re-live - the 2019 postseason. The plan is...
Season is delayed, but what about the amateur draft?
Season is delayed, but what about the amateur draft?
Steve Melewski
Orioles
The Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft is scheduled for June 10-12. The Orioles will hold the No. 2 overall pick for the first time. They've now picked No. 1 overall twice, but never have had the second pick. The Detroit Tigers, who went 47-114 in 2019, have the No. 1 pick for the second time in three years. They selected Auburn right-hander Casey Mize 1/1 overall in 2018. The Orioles, who went 54-108, will select after Detroit. But with opening day on hold and the season canceled...
Reviewing the roster during the shutdown
Reviewing the roster during the shutdown
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles would have been making the short drive to Bradenton today for a game against the Pirates if spring training had proceeded without interruption. The trip back always takes twice as long because of the traffic, but it's still the easiest one. Many of the competitions are unsettled while baseball takes a long break, but shortstop is set. José Iglesias has the position locked down after signing a one-year deal with an option for 2021. He still holds the key. Iglesias came across as...
       
1360 1361 1362 1363 1364 1365 1366 1367 1368 1369