The Birdland Caravan made its final stop this afternoon in White Marsh, with two more days of touring ahead. Shortstop Richie Martin knew where he'd be going today based on the schedule laid out by the Orioles, the bus slicing through heavy winds to reach its destinations, but where he starts the 2020 season is a much cloudier forecast. The Orioles signed free agent shortstop José Iglesias to a one-year deal with an option for 2021 and basically have handed him the job. Martin can compete...

Florida's population this week swelled with the arrival of pitchers and catchers throughout the Sunshine State, including Sarasota, where one of the least predictable spring training competitions in the majors has begun to unfold. As you begin counting down to opening day in earnest, you'll want to catch as much as you can of the next seven days' worth of "Orioles Classics." Most of these episodes come from Orioles playoff seasons, and the ones that don't will feature major league...

He ranks third on the Orioles with 33 starts the last two seasons. He trails only Dylan Bundy (61) and Andrew Cashner (45). But as of right now he may be a longshot to significantly add to that in 2020. That is because right-hander David Hess took a big step backwards last year, going 1-10 with a 7.09 ERA in 23 games of which 14 were starts. The Orioles went 2-12 in those starts. It was just a year before that when Hess pitched much better and ended his season with a solid finish. In 2018, the...

As spring training fast approaches, it's time to break down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series concludes today with the outfield ... The Nationals infield may be chock full of questions entering spring training, but the guys who will line up behind them are firmly locked into place. All three starting outfielders - plus the primary backups - from last season return. And there's every reason to believe that group will be highly productive again, with room for...

As spring training fast approaches, it's time to break down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series continues today with the infield ... So much of the Nationals' World Series-winning roster returns intact this spring, but one aspect of the roster has undergone some serious change since we last saw this team take the field. An infield that was among the most productive in the majors is going to look quite different this time around, thanks to one huge departure and...

The Nationals would like to see 2018 first-round selection Mason Denaburg build innings this upcoming season after battling through nagging injuries in 2019. The 20-year-old starter dealt with a shoulder issue that prevented him from enjoying most of his 2019 campaign. Baseball America Nats correspondent Lacy Lusk agrees this is an important year coming up for Denaburg. The right-hander is locked in as Baseball America's No. 8 prospect in its latest Nationals Top 10. No. 8 Mason Denaburg "The...

With Orioles pitchers and catchers reporting next Tuesday to spring training, we're less than a week away now. The first spring game is just over two weeks away on Feb. 22. So with that all coming fast, let's take a look today at a few more random spring questions. They may not be the biggest facing the team, but just a few questions and topics to be considered over the next few weeks and leading into a new season. Earlier we looked at a few spring topics in this entry to include a discussion...

The Orioles are keeping pitcher Branden Kline and super-utility player Stevie Wilkerson in the organization. Kline and Wilkerson cleared waivers and have been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk after the club designated them for assignment last week. Wilkerson had the give his approval based on a previous DFA. The list of camp invites has grown to 66 players, with left-hander Wade LeBlanc also a recent inclusion. Kline, a Frederick native and second-round pick out of the University of Virginia in...

The report date countdown for Orioles pitchers and catchers has reached five days. Or the amount of time it takes a call to be confirmed or overturned. Which Orioles have something to prove in camp? Plenty of them, but here are a few ideas: Dwight Smith Jr. is viewed within the organization as a left fielder and nothing more. It's the only position he played last summer and his major league body of work includes a mere three starts in right and one in center with the Blue Jays. The metrics and...

Bobby Blanco and Paul Mancano discuss the biggest storylines heading into spring training and review the 2019-20 offseason.