Baseball is perhaps only a few days away from an event that hasn't been experienced in 27 years, one the commissioner himself recently said would be "disastrous" for the sport. Major League Baseball has said if it and the MLB Players Association can't agree to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement by Monday, some regular season games will be canceled. Whether that actually proves to be true remains to be seen, because the MLBPA insists the Feb. 28 deadline set forth by commissioner...

When you talk to Roberto Mercado, a new member of the Orioles front office and player development staff, his excitement to work for the club in 2022 comes through. It's going to be a big adjustment for the 42-year-old Mercado. He was the head coach of New Britain (Conn.) High School from 2011-2021 with a record of 139-80 and dean of students at the school since 2004. But his baseball experience also includes time spent as an assistant coach in the summer wood bat Cape Cod League, one of the...

The Washington Nationals announced the winner of the second annual Phil Rizzo Scout of the Year Award on Thursday. The award is given annually to the Washington Nationals scout who represents the integrity, character and work ethic exemplified by Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo's late father, Phil Rizzo. Jay Robertson, Special Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations and General Manager, is this year's winner, announced by Mike...

Until the lockout ends and major league spring training camps finally open, I'm left to reminisce about past stays in Florida. The many stories that unfolded, some of which never made it into print. The many mornings spent inside the clubhouse and on the back fields. The road trips, more grueling when the home site was down in Fort Lauderdale. The unexpected arrivals and departures. I'll share a few more today: Betemit's knee injury Media wanting to interview the starting pitcher or a...

Well, we've just about reached the point of no return. For nearly three months, we've speculated the lockout likely wouldn't end until the two sides faced a significant deadline: the potential loss of regular season games. And now, alas, we are on the verge of reaching that point. Major League Baseball reiterated Wednesday that if a deal is not in place by Monday, opening day will not proceed as scheduled March 31, adding that any games lost would not be made up and players would not be paid...

The eventual implementation of a new collective bargaining agreement and the abolishment of the lockout that began on Dec. 2 are going to leave plenty of questions spread across baseball's landscape. Answers may be staggered like the players who arrived in camp last spring. Or perhaps we'll be educated with one big news release. The date of the CBA and how much of spring training is lost are going to be factors. Will the sacrifices be confined to exhibition games? Four days remain before...

Another outlet released a top 100 list (actually 114) on Wednesday, and this time the Orioles produced their strongest representation yet when they placed six players in the top 69 on the list released by FanGraphs.com. Adley Rutschman was yet again rated as the top position prospect and overall No. 1 prospect in baseball, as he was earlier by Baseball America, The Athletic and ESPN. But this time right-handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez achieved his highest ranking ever, at No. 3. He had been...

There are, as you know, 30 major league clubs. But did you know only one of those clubs has never retired the jersey number of a player or manager who wore its uniform? Yep, it's the Nationals. The Nats, of course, have retired No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson, same as every MLB franchise. But they have not retired the number of anyone who actually played for them. Which is understandable, given the fact they've only existed for 17 seasons and every other MLB franchise has existed for at...

There were a few players on the Orioles farm that played at three levels last season. They got promoted twice, in other words, and that was impressive. Could we see more of that in terms of promotions coming in 2022? "I think last year was a unique situation," O's director of player development Matt Blood said this week from Sarasota. "We didn't have as much information to go off of (with no minors games in 2020). I think this year will be a little more normal in regard to those type of...

The meetings between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Associations are strung together this week like pearls. The goal is to end the lockout before we ring in a new month. Spring training is on hold, with at least seven exhibition games lost. I've already written 18 anticipated camp storylines, however I'm able to revisit them. If I'm able to revisit them. There's the rotation behind John Means and Jordan Lyles, whether Adley Rutschman will get a fair shot at breaking camp with the...