More information on Heasley through a scout's eyes

The Orioles had 36 players on their 40-man roster when the Winter Meetings began in Nashville and they made two moves with the free-agent signing of closer Craig Kimbrel and trade with Kansas City for pitcher Jonathan Heasley. Kimbrel is a veteran of 14 major league seasons and the Orioles are his eighth team. He’s a former Rookie of the Year and a
Masn Orioles

Most significant stories of 2023: A new trade deadline approach

We’ve reached the final week of the year, so it’s time to look back at the Nationals’ most significant stories of 2023. We begin the series today with the team’s approach to this season’s trade deadline … Some of the most significant days of the 2021 and 2022 calendar years for the Nationals came at the trade deadline, when Mike Rizzo made franchis
Masn Nationals

Some Orioles-themed Christmas wishes

Made a rare appearance at a trivia night last week at Hoco Brew Hive in Ellicott City, where I learned that Santa’s reindeer are females. Had a 50-50 chance at getting it right and I blew it. Male reindeer shed their antlers in November. Females keep theirs throughout the winter. How have I gone through life without knowing this? Really makes you r
Orioles

A few quick pre-Christmas thoughts

Just a short entry today to wish all the readers at Steve’s blog and all of Birdland a wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season. Enjoy your time with family and friends and I hope it’s your best Christmas yet. A few quick thoughts on things in the news the last few days ... Yamamoto signs: The Dodgers signed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year de
Orioles

Nats still looking to check things off holiday wish list

It’s Christmas Eve in Washington and we are fewer than 100 days from Opening Day 2024. This offseason is progressing rapidly. Before we check to see what Santa Claus left under our trees tomorrow morning and ring in the new year next week, let’s look at what remains on the Nationals’ offseason wish list, in hopes that some could be crossed off soon
Nationals
Holiday week won't weaken efforts to find pitching
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Baseball can experience an unofficial shutdown during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. However, there are some notable exceptions. The Cubs traded starter Yu Darvish to the Padres on Dec. 28, 2020 for a package that included former Orioles minor league pitcher Zach Davies. A day earlier, the Rays traded starter Blake Snell to the Padres,
John Means throws white
A few more facts and O's opinions
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Time today for a few more facts and opinions about the 2023 Orioles and the Birds who will take the field in 2024. Fact: The Orioles’ team ERA for last season was 3.89 which ranked fifth-best in the American League and seventh-best in the majors. In the second half, their team ERA of 3.58 ranked first in the AL and third in the majors. Opinion: Is
Garrett begins hitting, Nats sign Diaz to minor-league deal
Mark Zuckerman
Masn
Recovery from major injuries like the one Stone Garrett sustained this summer requires patience and the willingness to focus on each individual milestone reached without focusing too much on the big picture. Garrett, who fractured his left fibula trying to make a leaping catch at the wall in right field Aug. 23, can’t think about playing Opening Da
Sharing some Orioles Birdland Caravan memories and potential questions for 2024
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Further details on the Birdland Caravan, which is attaining annual status after Orioles players and front office staff traveled 703.7 miles across the state last year and made 15 stops in 12 cities, should become available in a few weeks. It runs from Jan. 25-28. Can’t be much longer before the sharing starts. We’ll get a full roster of participant
Former Orioles infielder Ryan Minor has passed away after battling colon cancer
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Ryan Minor, remembered for replacing Cal Ripken Jr. at third base on the night that baseball’s Iron Man voluntarily ended his consecutive-games streak, died tonight after fighting Stage 4 colon cancer for more than a year. He would have celebrated his 50th birthday on Jan. 5. Minor was placed in home hospice care last month. Minor’s twin brother Da
After 101 wins, expectations will be high for the 2024 Orioles
Steve Melewski
Orioles
The 2021 Orioles went 52-110 and finished 48 games out of first place. In an American League East where fourth-place Toronto won 91 games that season, the Orioles were 39 games out of fourth place. No one could forsee that team two years later would win the AL East. The Orioles went from 52 to 83 to 101 wins in two seasons. It was quite a run and r
Nats should be pleased with widening of runner's lane by MLB
Mark Zuckerman
Masn
The Trea Turner Rule is finally getting amended. Not eliminated altogether, but amended in a way that should at least somewhat appease the star shortstop and Nationals manager Davey Martinez after both were burned by it multiple times in the past. Major League Baseball announced a series of rule changes for the 2024 season Thursday afternoon, and t
Agent says Povich has "goals and he’s doing everything the right way to get there"
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
MLB Pipeline’s top 30 prospects lists won’t be updated for a few more months. The highest-ranked Orioles pitcher is Chayce McDermott at No. 10. Two-thirds of the group are position players. Right behind McDermott, the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year, is left-hander Cade Povich, the former third-round draft pick of the Twins who was
What kind of improvement will get the Nats from 71 to 81 wins?
Mark Zuckerman
Masn
The 2023 Nationals clearly were a better team than the 2022 Nationals were, and you don’t have to dig real deep for the confirmation of that. Any team that improved by 16 wins, from 55 to 71, did something right. Ask those in charge of the organization about the improvement, though, and they’re quick to point out the lack of total satisfaction with
What does it mean if a prospect struggles, but in a small sample?
Steve Melewski
Orioles
The question to Mike Elias at the Winter Meetings was not about rookie outfielder Colton Cowser specifically. Although it could have applied to him. Elias was basically asked about the impact of a player’s performance in a small sample size. If a top prospect gets a call-up and struggles, what does that mean? Does the organization get down on the p
       
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