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When I made my predictions for how much each of the top free agents would get this winter, I had Michael Bourn getting the third-biggest deal of anyone, behind Josh Hamilton and Zack Greinke. Not only is Bourn coming off the best season of his car...

Blog | December 03, 2012

It wasn't long ago that outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury looked like the face of the Boston Red Sox. His All-Star campaign in 2011 was highlighted by a .321 average, 32 home runs, 105 RBIs and 39 stolen bases. His five-tool prowess had finally developed, a...

Blog | November 09, 2012

It was a summer of success for baseball's mid-Atlantic teams. After much losing over the past decade, both the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals took their divisions by storm. One surprised, the other finally arrived, but both buoyed fan bas...

Blog | October 15, 2012

A contract never starts off "bad," per se. Obviously, a general manager signs a player to a contract with the intent that the player will help the team win, even if the GM knows the criticism over dollars and years is out there. The contract ofte...

Blog | May 04, 2012

It's only fitting that Washington Nationals prospect Bryce Harper will make his major league debut basking in Hollywood's shadow, because the 19-year-old's story is cut from a movie script. By now everyone knows his background as the baseball wun...

Blog | April 28, 2012

Big league managers have a hard enough time contending with things they can control, let alone things they can't. A 162-game season is never a cakewalk, but when there are distractions and concerns early in the season, it doesn't portend for smooth s...

Blog | April 19, 2012

Last year, the National League East was a two-horse race, with the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves jockeying for position on the strength of deep starting pitching. The Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins were essentially afterthoughts, b...

Blog | March 14, 2012

Heading into spring training, every general manager has a list of questions that he wants answered. Whether that's seeing if a player has rebounded from surgery or if an aging veteran has any gas left in the tank. It might be a position battle that n...

Blog | February 22, 2012

With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in little more than a month, teams and free agents will start scrambling like a game of musical chairs in order to ensure they have a place to sit when the music stops. One free agent who should...

Blog | January 05, 2012

It's rare to see a team trade a potential ace before he is eligible for salary arbitration, but that's exactly what the San Diego Padres did Saturday when they sent Mat Latos to the Cincinnati Reds for first baseman Yonder Alonso, catcher Yasmani Gra...

Blog | December 21, 2011

At the winter meetings, things can spin on dime. That's what makes it fun, as well as frustrating at times. One minute a general manager or team owner will boast -- off the record -- how "on" a particular player his team is, then one bad negotiati...

Blog | December 05, 2011

Earlier this week, we took a look at the American League teams and the dollars coming off their books due to free agency. Today we look at the National League, where the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewe...

Blog | August 26, 2011

Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo was wheeling and dealing Saturday, trading starting pitcher Jason Marquis to the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league middle infielder Zach Walters. The Nationals had four clubs that had expressed inte...

Blog | July 30, 2011

Jim Riggleman shocked the baseball world Thursday when he abruptly resigned as manager of the Washington Nationals. Earlier in the day, Riggleman told team vice president and general manager Mike Rizzo that if his 2012 club option was not exercised ...

Blog | June 23, 2011

Here are the top seven teams that should pursue Prince Fielder come November, when he can become a free agent: 1. Baltimore Orioles The Orioles are the best fit for Prince Fielder. Peter Angelos, the Orioles' owner, has not spent the money on a...

Blog | June 15, 2011