Hey, what do you know, the Nationals actually made some news over the weekend. They acquired their second potentially big bat of the winter, signing left fielder Kyle Schwarber for one year and a guaranteed $10 million. This after trading for first baseman Josh Bell on Christmas Eve. It's a start, but the Nats are far from finished assembling their 2021 roster. There are more moves to be made, most notably acquiring a No. 4 starter, at least one more reliever, another catcher, a bench player...

There were some frustrated Orioles fans when the club traded infielder Jonathan Villar on Dec. 2, 2019. The club was not prepared to pay him a projected $10.4 million through arbitration, even coming off his strong 2019 season. So he was dealt to the Miami Marlins for minor league lefty Easton Lucas. The trade doesn't look so bad today, even though Lucas has yet to throw in a game on the O's farm. Villar produced an OPS+ of 109 for the 2019 Orioles, which tied for the second-best of his...

The implementation of the alternate camp site and participation in the fall instructional league were geared in part toward avoiding a setback in the development of prospects who couldn't get at-bats and innings in the minors. But what about the excluded players? What about outfielder Heston Kjerstad, who wasn't able to report to Prince George's Stadium or the Ed Smith Stadium complex because of an undisclosed non-sports medical issue? We're assuming here that he's been working out at...

As I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate small ball, the art of the opposite-field single, the sacrifice bunt, hitting behind the runner, the cat-and-mouse between a speedster taking a lead and the pitcher trying to make sure he stays put. But one cannot deny the thrill of seeing a muscular dude launching a fastball that gets too much of the plate. Though you'll also see some of the former in this week's "Orioles Classics," the latter takes center stage. In the principal roles of big...

With the new year here and spring training hopefully right around the corner, we're ramping up this week's "Nationals Classics" on MASN to examine some of the strongest performances ever by guys with a curly W on their caps. When talking about the club's great pitchers, Stephen Strasburg is always mentioned - and with good reason. Two of his finest performances - a sparking debut and a playoff clincher - are among this week's broadcasts. Ditto for Ryan Zimmerman, the Nats' first draft...

The Washington Nationals announced today a multi-year, exclusive partnership with BetMGM, a leading sports betting and digital gaming company. Key details of the partnership include the opening of a BetMGM Sportsbook connected to Nationals Park and the launch of a mobile app within the permitted area around the Park, as well as fan-focused campaigns and co-branding opportunities. "The Nationals are thrilled to expand our strong partnership with MGM Resorts into the sports betting realm," said...

The Nationals lineup, as currently constructed this morning, features three guys who hit at least 34 homers and drove in at least 92 runs during the last full major league season. It also includes another guy who hit 22 homers and drove in 86 runs that season, plus one who totaled 63 extra-base hits and yet another who totaled 53. That sounds like a pretty potent and deep lineup, does it not? It does. And yet it still feels like this group is lacking one more significant piece. And that's the...

No doubt left-hander John Means is the Orioles' top starting pitcher and likely opening day starter for 2021. But is he an ace pitcher? Not quite yet, but he sure showed signs of it in his last four 2020 starts. If Means can become the Orioles' first bonafide ace since Mike Mussina, he will truly beat the odds. Unlike Mussina, he was not a first-round draft pick or hyped prospect. He was drafted in round 11, the 331st player taken in the 2011 draft. He was never ranked as a top 30 prospect by...

The three-day minicamp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex has reached its halfway point this morning. Five outfielders working with three instructors in Sarasota temperatures reaching the low 70s. The high fives will be kept to a minimum for social distancing purposes. The outfielders are in varying stages of their careers. Three of them have reached the majors. One remains a rookie in 2021 who is playing his fourth position. One is a former first-round draft pick. One is an infielder who...

When the Orioles made the decision to remove José Flores as third base coach and infield instructor, they didn't rush through the process of finding his replacement. They didn't react as though they were on the clock. There was a slow build to the composition of the final list of candidates, with the Orioles more interested in making an outside hire rather than shifting one of their coaches into a new role and further reducing the staff. They replaced pitching coach Doug Brocail with Chris...