Here is an update on a few of the prospects that continue to improve as the offseason rolls along. All of these players were at the instructional league camp in Viera. Nationals hitting coordinator Rick Schu says the entire camp went very well and turned out to be an excellent teaching tool for the organization as several players refined their offensive and defensive skills before heading off to winter ball or back home for offseason work. Carolina League MVP Tyler Moore showed what he has...

Koji Uehara went 1-2, 2.86 this season with 13 saves in 15 chances and didn't walk a batter over his last 32 appearances. But to this point, it appears the Orioles haven't made much of an attempt to resign him and Uehara can soon become a Major League free agent. Makes you wonder if the O's are skeptical of Koji's late-season success and ability to handle the closer's role. Maybe they are scared off by all the time he spent on the DL in his two seasons with the club or the fact that...

The Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award will be presented next month, which makes sense, considering that we're down to our final day of this month. Happy Halloween. The two leading candidates are Vladimir Guerrero and David Ortiz. One player looked like he was finished and didn't draw a tremendous amount of interest on the free agent market. The other player looked like he was finished once the season began and dealt with all sorts of speculation about being benched or...

Just when you thought it was safe... You'll recall that I passed along a tweet yesterday from Patrick Newman at NPB Tracker that said Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima wouldn't be posted, and therefore wouldn't be allowed to play in the majors next season. Here's the latest tweet - I just pounded my fist on the kitchen table - from Newman: "Despite announcement, Nakajima not giving up on posting, wants to talk with Seibu mgmt again" So Nakajima might still be in play, though his...

The early projections among members of the media had manager Buck Showalter keeping a few of the holdovers on his coaching staff and going outside the organization to fill the remaining spots. As the process dragged out, reporters began to wonder whether most, if not all, of the coaches on the Orioles' payroll would return. As you survey the landscape this morning, it's fair to assume that no one is coming back. We'll know for sure once the Orioles make a formal announcement - with the...

With the news yesterday that Jim Presley is going to be named the new Orioles' hitting coach, I wonder what that means for Terry Crowley. The Crow will become an "offensive evaluator" for the organization, according to reports. Until we hear from Buck Showalter or Andy MacPhail when the new coaching staff is officially announced, I am not sure what his role will be exactly. Is this the club's way of phasing Crowley out or realizing that they need a new voice as hitting coach? Crowley...

The Orioles aren't ready to announce their coaching staff, but Jim Presley is set to replace Terry Crowley as hitting coach. An industry source said it's a done deal, though Presley has received offers from "two or three clubs." This news coincides with an early report from MLB.com. Manager Buck Showalter, driving back to Baltimore from the ESPN studios in Bristol, Conn., would only confirm that Presley is among "two or three guys" on the final list. Crowley has offered his...

That's probably the last time I can use this joke for a while. You're officially spared. According to a tweet from Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker, Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima won't be posted. That means he won't be free to sign with a major league team. The tweet - there's that word again- reads as follows: "Official -- Nakajima posting denied" The Orioles were counted among the teams that scouted Nakajima multiple times. I wrote about it here.

Nationals outfielder Michael Burgess and catcher Derek Norris are working hard to play well and improve in their time with the Scottsdale Scorpions this month in at the Arizona Fall League. Norris and Burgess are each batting above .300 with a combined three homers and 19 RBI through nine games. Burgess is hitting .303 (10-33) with four runs, two doubles, a triple and seven RBI in nine games so far. He has struck out 11 times, but has committed just one error and is riding an eight-game...

In three more days, left-hander Brian Matusz will begin working out again at Athletes' Performance Institute. But this time, he'll have a new partner in a new location. Chris Tillman is joining Matusz at the Carson, Ca. facility. In the past, Matusz has reported to the API in Phoenix. "They're all the same, the same philosophy," Matusz said. "From what I hear, a few more pitchers work out at this facility, but it doesn't change the type of workouts or anything. "I'm excited about...