WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Pedro Severino, once touted by the Nationals as their potential long-term answer behind the plate, is now an Oriole. Baltimore claimed the 25-year-old catcher off waivers today, ending his long tenure with the Washington organization that signed him out of the Dominican Republic when he was 17. The move was not unexpected, because Severino faced almost no chance of staying with the Nationals. The additions of veterans Yan Gomes and Kurt Suzuki over the winter solidified...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have tossed another competitor into the catching mix today, claiming Pedro Severino off waivers from the Nationals and designating infielder Stevie Wilkerson for assignment. Severino, 25, is out of options and the Nationals were trying to pass him through waivers. The move gives the Orioles six catchers in camp and 35 players overall. Wilkerson already had been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk and was on the minor league side. A defense-first player in his four major...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Despite the recent spate of major leaguers signing contract extensions over the last few weeks, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo insisted today he isn't feeling more pressure to try to lock up third baseman Anthony Rendon. "I don't think that what other teams do affect our long-term strategies," Rizzo said. "We've got a plan in place for not only for this year but for the long term, and I think we'll follow that." Rendon, who is eligible for free agency after...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Renato Núñez is the designated hitter again tonight as the Orioles host the Twins. Núñez popped up and walked last night in two plate appearances after replacing Mark Trumbo as the designated hitter in Dunedin. Dwight Smith Jr. is leading off and playing right field. Rio Ruiz is the third baseman. Chance Sisco is catching tonight. Yusniel Diaz comes over from minor league camp to play center field. Alex Cobb makes his final start before his opening day assignment in...

Infielder Jake Noll is battling for a spot on the Nationals' 25-man roster. But even if he doesn't begin the season with the big club, he certainly has demonstrated in spring training that he can hit at this level and does a nice job of fielding any position they put him at on the field. He starts at first base today as spring training wraps up. Noll says he works at every infield spot in pregame drills and can also play in the outfield. "When I first got drafted, I didn't know where I was...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - We're down to the final two days of spring training, and that means a lot more Nationals regulars in the lineup, even when they were in the lineup the day before that. And the day before that. Davey Martinez has five players starting their third straight game today: Trea Turner, Juan Soto, Anthony Rendon, Brian Dozier and Victor Robles. The only guys who aren't returning for this day game after a night game are Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Eaton and Yan Gomes. With Eaton...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The hints keep coming that Joey Rickard will be with the Orioles on opening day, perhaps in right field at Yankee Stadium. Rickard is tearing up the Grapefruit League again and is a virtual lock to break camp with the team, whether as the starting right fielder or a rover of sorts. The competition keeps thinning out, including the Orioles' decision yesterday to release veteran Eric Young Jr. Prospects Austin Hays, DJ Stewart, Anthony Santander and Yusniel Diaz already have...

SARASOTA, Fla. - For Trey Mancini, it has happened pretty fast. At 27 and with 308 major league games under his belt, he's become one of the leaders of a group of mostly young Orioles. He's not even eligible for arbitration yet, but he's eligible and ready to be a leader of this team and help anyone he can in any way he can. Young players look to him for guidance and older players realize the player they once mentored is now a middle-of-the-order hitter and team leader. Mancini said in...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Davey Martinez says he knows who's going to hit leadoff for the Nationals on opening day. And he plans to keep that person atop his lineup most days. He's just not revealing yet who that person is, certainly not until he's had an opportunity to discuss it with both Trea Turner and Adam Eaton, the two obvious candidates. "These are conversations the next couple days I'm going to have with players," Martinez said. "You guys will know." If you want to read into...

JUPITER, Fla. - Max Scherzer had been sitting in the dugout for a while in the top of the seventh, his Nationals teammates having sent seven men to the plate during a rally that included a mid-inning pitching change. It was a long wait, but Scherzer really wanted to pitch the bottom of the seventh and end his outing on a high note. Which he most certainly did. Scherzer struck out the first two Marlins he faced in the seventh, raising his game total to 12, and raising his fastball velocity to a...