The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms, thus avoiding salary arbitration, with catcher Jesus Flores and infielder Alberto Gonzalez. The club did not tender contracts to catcher Wil Nieves and right-handed pitchers Joel Peralta and Chien-Ming Wang. Nationals Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements.

Is everyone refreshed after venting last night over the Adam Dunn news and, hopefully, getting a good night's sleep? There's still plenty of time to patch the holes in your walls and apologize to the cat. If you're waiting breathlessly for the Orioles to reveal their minor league coaching staffs, it probably won't happen until the middle of next week. A few openings might remain, but most of the names will be in place. At least three affiliates will have a full-time extra coach, while...

Nationals left fielder Josh Willingham is rehabbing well from knee surgery and will be 100 percent for spring training. "The knee is good," Willingham said. "I rehabbed it for the first three weeks in Washington. They said go home and do it so I rehabbed it for three more weeks (in Alabama). Since I have been done with rehab I took some time off and then started working out again and everything is good. I am 100 percent." Willingham remembers when he first got hurt and how the knee...

A Baltimore Sun report, citing an industry source, said the O's offered Adam Dunn a four-year deal worth $40 million. Dunn reportedly signed for $56 million over four years with the White Sox, who now may also retain Paul Konerko. Yes, we are all thinking the same thing here. If those reports are accurate, the O's missed by a mile. If both reports are on the money, pun intended, the O's offer to Dunn was a huge swing and miss. Dunn's agent let it be known they were seeking four years and...

The Orioles today announced that they have declined to tender a contract offer to RHP Matt Albers, allowing him to become a free agent. Albers, 27, was acquired by the Orioles on December 12, 2007 from Houston as part of a deal that sent SS Miguel Tejada to the Astros. He went 11-12 with a 4.60 ERA (191.2IP, 98ER) in 146 games pitched over three seasons with Baltimore. With the non-tender, the Orioles have 34 players on their 40-man roster.

The Orioles declined to offer a contract to reliever Matt Albers, allowing him to become a free agent. Removing Albers from the 40-man roster lowers the total to 34. Albers went 11-12 with a 4.60 ERA in 146 games with the Orioles after they acquired him from the Astros on Dec. 12, 2007. The Orioles can re-sign Albers, but he's free to seek a deal with another organization. As expected, the Orioles offered contracts to their other arbitration-eligible players: Jeremy Guthrie, Jim Johnson,...

For those of you who aren't attached to mlbtraderumors, it appears that the White Sox have reached agreement with free-agent first baseman Adam Dunn on a four-year, $56 million contract. Multiple reporters are tweeting it. Sounds like a nice deal for the White Sox. Nothing that sends up red flags or makes me wonder if there's a gas leak at U.S. Cellular Field. According to this tweet, some Chicago players believe Paul Konerko will re-sign with the White Sox. You'd have to assume that...

A new clip of 'How Do You Know' surfaced today, exclusively on MySpace, featuring a baseball scene from the upcoming James L. Brooks movie with Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson. Nationals season ticket holders were invited to sit in as extras during the filming at Nationals Park in 2009 and some familiar faces are clearly visible in this clip. In the one minute segment, Wilson discusses "love" with his bullpen teammates while the center fielder makes an amazing catch. Mild warning -...

I've been awake since 5 a.m. May as well fire up the blog again and go back to bed later, where I'll do a little more tossing and turning. That'll be my cardio workout for the day. I'm still waiting for the Orioles to announce their minor league coaching staffs, but manager Gary Kendall is definitely moving up from short-season Single-A Aberdeen to Double-A Bowie, where he'll be joined by pitching coach Kennie Steenstra and new hitting coach Denny Hocking. Gary Allenson is back at...

Two of the players that must be high on the O's list as possible first baseman for 2011 are Paul Konerko and Carlos Pena. By now, the O's must have had discussions with both and, according to one report, have offered a deal to Konerko. The decisions the club would have to make in choosing between those two and others would have a lot to do with money and length of contract. I cannot see the O's getting Konerko, or having a real chance, without a three or four-year deal. If Adam Dunn...