nate mclouth

The Orioles didn't make offers to Nate McLouth or Scott Feldman. Is that a terrible thing?

Orioles manager Buck Showalter faces the task of reshuffling a roster that took a severe hit this week in a five-day span in which the club traded All-Star closer Jim Johnson and former Orioles Nate McLouth and Scott Feldman, two of the team's top priorities to resign, signed elsewhere.

Nate McLouth agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Washington Nationals pending a physical, according to an industry source.

The Orioles traded Jim Johnson so they could use his projected salary elsewhere. But they won't have much left if they buy another closer.

The Orioles are working to sign outfielder Francisco Peguero, according to an industry source.

The hot-stove rumor of the day pertaining to the Orioles involves the club being interested in signing free-agent Jhonny Peralta to man left field, according to FOXSports.com

Baltimore Sun reporter Eduardo A. Encina talks about some recent moves involving the Orioles and more.

The Orioles would like to re-sign Nate McLouth but the market is making it look like McLouth will get a two-year deal.

The Orioles continued to meet with possible trade partners and free-agent representatives on Day 2 of the general managers meetings Tuesday in Orlando, Fla.

The Orioles haven't negotiated with any of their seven free agents yet as the exclusive signing period ended. But that's not too surprising.

The Orioles made several roster management moves Monday, including officially declining the $3 million option for 2014 in infielder Alexi Casilla's contract, buying it out for $200,000.

There's no longer a free agency filing period. So all players who are eligible -- they must have, in most cases, accumulated at least six years of major league service time and not be under contract for 2014 -- automatically become free agents at the end of the World Series.

The Orioles have nine pending free agents -- Alexi Casilla, Scott Feldman, Jason Hammel, Nate McLouth, Michael Morse, Brian Roberts, Francisco Rodriguez, Chris Snyder and Tsuyoshi Wada -- and executive vice president Dan Duquette said: ¿We haven¿t moved on any of those free agents yet.¿

Joe Flacco, Sean Schaefer and George Franke are part of The Sun Remembers This Week in Sports for Oct. 27-Nov. 2

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said he's not yet had serious talks about some of the Orioles' pending free agents.

An argument could be made that the Orioles fielded a club this season with more stability — and talent — than the one that won 93 games and advanced to the American League Division Series in 2012.

The Orioles knew there chances of making the playoffs this season were minuscule entering Tuesday night ¿ a less than 0.1 percent chance, according to coolstandings.com ¿ but manager Buck Showalter had his team believing down to that last sliver of hope.

But the Orioles' faint postseason hopes died with their 3-2 10 inning loss combined with the Cleveland Indians' 5-4 walkoff win over the Chicago White Sox. It was the sixth consecutive loss for the Orioles, tying a season high.

After playing the longest game in either franchise¿s history on Friday night, the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays returned to Tropicana Field looking like sleep-deprived clubs. The alarm finally went off for the Rays in the fifth when Desmond Jennings smacked a three-run homer to spur a 5-1 Tampa Bay victory

Buck Showalter started six players who lasted all 18 innings Friday.

Darren O'Day is back and available in relief tonight. Showalter said he wasn't going to use O'Day on Wednesday.

On a night when slugger Chris Davis made Orioles history with his 51st home run of the season ¿ setting a single-season franchise record ¿ the team's hero was its unheralded hottest hitter.

BOSTON ¿ The Orioles will open their three-game series at Fenway Park tonight just two games out of the second American League wild-card spot.

The Baltimore Orioles' defense has been the greatest constant for a club that's competing for a second straight playoff berth after 14 consecutive losing seasons.

Down the Stretch is a daily Orioles Insider blog that will set up the coming night for the O's and their American League competition as the push for the postseason continues.

The Orioles woke up in Boston this morning 2 ½ games out of both wild card spots with 13 games left in season. The six teams contending for the two AL wild card spots are not separated by 3 ½ games.

TORONTO ¿ There was plenty of news on the injury front after the Orioles¿ 3-1 win over the Blue Jays Sunday afternoon:

Colby Rasmus' two-run homer off Chris Tillman in the seventh inning Saturday evening gave the Blue Jays a 4-3 win over the Orioles at Rogers Centre.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter readily admits that his team has gone through bad streaks with runners in scoring position. And he said he's guilty of not harping on their struggles when they happen, fearing it could make the situation worse.

Often in the past 15 years, the Orioles have used September as a proving ground for the following season, experimenting with what they had in order to get a better idea of what they needed to fortify in the winter. That won't be the case with the team in the playoff chase in 2013.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter still believes his team is capable of putting together a lengthy winning streak, something it really hasn't done this season. To date, the Orioles' longest streak of the season is five games.

The Orioles (73-65) ended their nine-game road trip to Boston, New York and Cleveland just 3-6, losing all three series.

Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman, making a bid for his 16th win of the season, was chased from the game in the sixth inning and the Orioles offense was held scoreless for eight innings. And then the Jekyll-and-Hyde Orioles offense orchestrated a ninth-inning rally that just fell short in a 4-3 loss to the Indians before an announced 9,962 at Progressive Field.

And when Indians ace Justin Masterson was forced from Monday¿s series opener in the second inning with soreness on the left side of his rib cage, the door of opportunity swung wide open as the Orioles stormed through with a 7-2 win in front of an announced 15,020 at Progressive Field

CLEVELAND ¿ When Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis was called out on an appeal play in the second inning of the Orioles¿ 7-2 win over Cleveland on Monday, manager Buck Showalter couldn¿t argue much because he was following the path of Nate McLouth¿s double into the right-center field gap.

When the Orioles left Baltimore for their nine-game road trip to Boston, New York and Cleveland, they knew how important it would be to play well against three teams they are jockeying with for playoff spots.

NEW YORK -- The Orioles needed to make a 25-man roster spot available for trade acquisition Michael Morse on Saturday, and they did so in placing outfielder Steve Pearce on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his left wrist.