Elias on arbitration-eligibles, Mancini, Rule 5, coaches and more
Elias on arbitration-eligibles, Mancini, Rule 5, coaches and more
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The first "Hot Stove Show" of the offseason aired tonight on 105.7 The Fan, with Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias addressing topics related to both the majors and minors. I'll go into more depth in the morning, but here are a few items: * Elias obviously wouldn't go into specifics related to the seven arbitration-eligible players, but he conceded that the budget could lead the club to make some difficult decisions. Jonathan Villar with his projected $10.4 million...
Orioles Q&A and John Means on his offseason
Orioles Q&A and John Means on his offseason
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Today, when we get to the comments section of this blog, the readers will be the stars. Here is the plan: Ask an O's question, whatever you've got, and I'll provide the best answer I can. Plus other readers can throw in their two cents. It's time to open this up and get what is on your mind about the club front and center. I've pointed out numerous times that the topic here is the Orioles - majors and minors. But often the comments relate only to what is written about in the blog entry...
Anthony Rendon wins Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award
Anthony Rendon wins Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award
Pete Kerzel
Nationals
Anthony Rendon was honored as the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winner for National League third baseman on Thursday night. Louisville Slugger made the announcement on MLB Network. Rendon, 29, earned his second career Silver Slugger Award after leading all National League third basemen in batting average (.319), on-base percentage (.412), slugging percentage (.598), OPS (1.010), RBI (126), multi-hit games (55), extra-base hits (81) and runs scored (117). His 174 hits and 80 walks both...
Rendon wins second career Silver Slugger Award
Rendon wins second career Silver Slugger Award
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
The Nationals' first (and potentially only) individual award from the 2019 regular season went to Anthony Rendon, who tonight was named the Silver Slugger Award winner as the National League's best offensive third baseman. Rendon led the league's third basemen in batting average (.319), runs (117), doubles (44), RBIs (126), on-base percentage (.412), slugging percentage (.598) and OPS (1.010). His 34 homers trailed only Eugenio Suárez, Nolan Arenado and Josh Donaldson at his...
#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Homer-happy memories from a title season
#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Homer-happy memories from a title season
Doug Miller
Nationals
Two of the most memorable regular-season wins from the Nationals' championship season kick off the next batch of MASN's "Nationals Classics," which also include a couple of walk-off wins from previous years. Spoiler alert: One of them belongs to Ryan Zimmerman, who's had a few. Thursday, Nov. 14 - 7 p.m. - Like offense? Then settle in for a total of 24 trips around the bases. Who knows what the Nats and Brewers had for breakfast on the morning of Sunday, Aug. 18, but they spent that...
Keep the band together or try to build a new champion?
Keep the band together or try to build a new champion?
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
For 15 years - but especially for the last eight years - they tried to find the right combination of talent, character and toughness to win a championship. And when they finally found it this season, the Nationals enjoyed one of the greatest October runs in baseball history. So it's only natural to now wonder how they might best try to put themselves right back in the same position next October in search of back-to-back titles. And the easiest answer is: Just keep the band together. Why...
Chris Holt's take on a few minor league pitchers
Chris Holt's take on a few minor league pitchers
Steve Melewski
Orioles
In this entry recently, I interviewed Orioles director of pitching Chris Holt. He was promoted to that position on Oct. 11 after serving as director of minor league pitching for the 2019 season. We addressed several topics earlier with Holt, and today we get his take on a few minor league hurlers. In 2019, four of the O's top six farm teams led their respective leagues in team ERA. The overall strikeout rate of the six teams increased from 8.18 in 2018 to 9.26 last season. Today Holt provides...
"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Powerful bats, precise pitching and a fond farewell
"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Powerful bats, precise pitching and a fond farewell
Pete Kerzel
Orioles
Temperatures are cooler, the hot stove is starting to flicker and Baltimore baseball fans are going through some serious hardball withdrawal. Let's face it, mid-February and spring training feel like forever away. If you're longing for the sounds of summer - ball hitting mitt, bat meeting ball, the roar of the crowd - MASN has you covered. "Orioles Classics" are the perfect way for die-hard fans to get through the long offseason, to give them a chance to relive past memories and perhaps get...
Wrapping up Nats in AFL, including Garcia, Banks and Sharp in title game
Wrapping up Nats in AFL, including Garcia, Banks and Sharp in title game
Byron Kerr
Nationals
MLB.com recently ranked the top 25 prospects who played in the Arizona Fall League. Surprise Saguaros shortstop Luis Garcia was ranked No. 15. He is the Nationals' No. 2 prospect behind Carter Kieboom and ranked No. 91 overall. "Garcia scuffled in Double-A this season as a 19-year-old but looked better in the Fall League," wrote MLB.com. "Though he has yet to tap into his solid raw power, the rest of his tools all could be at least above average once he's fully developed." Surprise lost...
Who will get the biggest free agent dollars this winter?
Who will get the biggest free agent dollars this winter?
Steve Melewski
Orioles
No one is expecting the Orioles to be very active at the top end or even in the middle tier of the new free agent market. For the second year in a row, in MLBTradeRumors.com's projection of its top 50 free agents, none are predicted to head to Baltimore. This is not surprising, of course, and was indeed expected. Predicting where free agents will land might be harder than you think. Who had Manny Machado to San Diego? All O's fans heard and had to deal with for years were rumors that the...