Soto named a finalist for NL MVP
Soto named a finalist for NL MVP
Pete Kerzel
Nationals
Nationals outfielder Juan Soto is one of three finalists for the National League Most Valuable Player, his status announced this evening during an MLB Network broadcast devoted to unveiling finalists for awards voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Soto is joined by two other noted sluggers, the Phillies' Bryce Harper and the Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. The winner will be announced live on MLB Network on Thursday, Nov. 18. This is the second time Soto has been announced as...
Mayo on professional experience and moving up
Mayo on professional experience and moving up
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
One year after participating in the Orioles' fall instructional league camp, young third baseman Coby Mayo is in Sarasota, Fla., again and feeling more comfortable after his first season of professional baseball. Mayo couldn't play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season. He reported to the Rookie-level Florida Complex League this year, a common starting point for draft picks and especially high school players, and moved up to Single-A Delmarva after 26 games and 91 plate...
Thoughts on acquiring Baker and latest version of 40-man roster
Thoughts on acquiring Baker and latest version of 40-man roster
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
With yesterday's waiver claim of reliever Bryan Baker, the Orioles are carrying 17 pitchers on a 40-man roster that is unrecognizable since the final game on Oct. 3. Baker's arrival leaves the Orioles with 32 players on it, still plenty of space to protect minor league prospects in the Rule 5 draft and perhaps to claim two - again, if the Winter Meetings aren't nixed after the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement. I did my share of speculating on the bubble pitchers and...
O's Ryan Mountcastle will not win Rookie of the Year
O's Ryan Mountcastle will not win Rookie of the Year
Steve Melewski
Orioles
He may have ranked first among all American League qualifying rookies in homers this year and second in RBIs, but the Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle will not be the club's seventh Rookie of the Year winner in the AL. When the three finalists for the Baseball Writers' Association of America award, to be announced Monday, were announced last night, he was not among them. For me, that was surprising. So the one Orioles player who we thought had a chance to contend for or even win one of the major...
Orioles claim Bryan Baker off waivers (with Mountcastle note)
Orioles claim Bryan Baker off waivers (with Mountcastle note)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles claimed reliever Bryan Baker off waivers from the Blue Jays this afternoon, increasing their 40-man roster to 32 players. Baker, who turns 27 next month, made his major league debut with a scoreless inning against the Athletics on Sept. 5. He allowed a hit and struck out a batter in his lone appearance. An 11th-round pick of the Rockies in 2016 out of the University of North Florida, Baker went 6-1 with a 1.31 ERA and 0.847 WHIP this summer in 39 relief appearances with Triple-A...
Updates on Nats prospects in Arizona Fall League
Updates on Nats prospects in Arizona Fall League
Bobby Blanco
Nationals
The development of prospects is a vital part of any rebuilding team and the Arizona Fall League presents teams with an opportunity to send a handful of their minor league players to continue that process after the conclusions of their regular seasons. Whether they missed time due to injuries or coaches want to see them play more, the AFL is a great chance for prospects to accumulate more innings or more at-bats against other top prospects across the sport. The Nationals have eight players...
Sometimes pitchers blossom late like this ex-Oriole did
Sometimes pitchers blossom late like this ex-Oriole did
Steve Melewski
Orioles
It was on July 31, 2018 when the Atlanta Braves acquired right-hander Kevin Gausman from the Orioles in a six-player deadline-beating trade that also brought the Orioles international bonus money. The faltering Birds were headed into full-on rebuild mode and their top pick from 2012 (No. 4 overall in that draft) was heading out the door. Just over a year later - on Aug. 5, 2019 - the Braves waived Gausman after he had gone 3-7 with a 6.19 ERA that year. He was 28 and his career was trending in...
Learning more about Mountcastle, Mullins' chances at awards
Learning more about Mountcastle, Mullins' chances at awards
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The finalists for 2021 Baseball Writers' Association of America awards will be announced tonight at 6 p.m. on MLB Network. When Ryan Mountcastle finds out whether he's in the top three in voting for Rookie of the Year in the American League. Mountcastle was chosen Rookie of the Year by his peers in the Major League Baseball Players Association's Players Choice Awards, finishing ahead of the Rays' Randy Arozarena and the Rangers' Adolis García. They could be finalists for the BBWAA...
With playoffs over, CBA talks now move to the forefront
With playoffs over, CBA talks now move to the forefront
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Now that the baseball season is over, the baseball labor talks are on the clock. The sides are pursuing a new collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA expires at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 1. That date is coming fast. The players and owners have been talking on and off behind the scenes since around the All-Star break, or so they tell us. This is great. Keep it out of the media, out of Twitter, out of social media and headlines altogether. We simply cannot have a repeat of the back and forth in...
A few thoughts on Henry Blanco's new role on Nats staff (updated)
A few thoughts on Henry Blanco's new role on Nats staff (updated)
Pete Kerzel
Nationals
Coaches are the unsung heroes in the major leagues, spending long hours before and after games, working with multiple players with different skill sets to reach their full potential. Many a time, I've arrived at a ballpark at 2 p.m. to find a hitting coach working with a batter in a session that started an hour or more earlier, or a pitching coach overseeing a bullpen session with a hurler working to perfect a new pitch. Simply put, most fans don't see the work that goes into what happens...