It was not a tough call. There was no protracted debate. There was no brief debate. There was no debating at all.  Catcher Samuel Basallo, signed to a $1.3 million bonus, the largest bonus in the Orioles' 2021 international class, is once again the club’s No. 1 ranked international prospect. He tops our third annual MASNSports.com ratings of the to

I’ve written about the end of a traditional spring training storyline, the blame falling upon the broad shoulders of James McCann. Only an injury can spark a debate over the identity of the backup catcher. It’s happening again with the Opening Day starter. The Orioles didn’t trade for Corbin Burnes to put him behind someone else in the rotation. Th

Yesterday, the Baltimore Orioles hosted their first-ever high school graduation as part of their International High School Program. The graduation took place at the Orioles’ brand new state-of-the-art Dominican Republic Baseball Academy, which opened its doors earlier this year.   Five players graduated from the program, including right-handed pitc

We are now just days away from the start of spring training and the first workout for Orioles pitchers and catchers is set for next Thursday in Sarasota, Fla. We are less than two weeks away from the first spring game on Feb. 24, when the Orioles will host the Boston Red Sox. So it's time to survey the fan base and check in with Birdland on a few t

The most significant moment of the Nationals’ 2023 spring training didn’t happen on the field. It happened in an office room at the team’s complex, when Keibert Ruiz grabbed a pen and signed a long-term extension with the club. Whether Ruiz’s eight-year, $50 million deal was a good move for the organization or the player remains to be seen. He enjo

Being aware of the mounting number of airline safety issues, I’m afraid to bring a heavy mailbag to Sarasota and risk having the landing gear fail or a few bolts bust off the wings. Let’s lighten the load here in our last pre-spring training sequel to the beloved original in 2008. You ask, I answer, you wonder if I’ve finally relented and began doi

We’ve entered the homestretch of the offseason at last. Pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach on Wednesday, at which point the 2024 season begins in earnest. So we’re going to spend these final days of winter previewing the top stories that are likely to play out at spring training. And one of the more intriguing ones involves a couple of

During the Hot Stove radio show this week on WBAL Radio in Baltimore, Orioles assistant general manager Eve Rosenbaum discussed the club’s trade for ace pitcher Corbin Burnes. While some media stories were focused on a possible addition of Dylan Cease this offseason, the Orioles were working for months behind the scenes to try and add Burnes, the 2

Whatever speech that Orioles manager Brandon Hyde chooses for his team prior to the first full-squad workout at spring training, he won’t be armed with the same motivational tools that he wielded in the past. Nobody believed in the Orioles during those 100-loss seasons. They had no reason. Seemed like everyone was expecting a regression after 83 wi

The Nationals’ minor-league coaching staffs are mostly unchanged for the 2024 season, with one notable exception: They’ve overhauled much of their hitting staff. The organization announced its full player development staff this afternoon, five days before pitchers and catchers officially report for spring training. Though there was a change at the