WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The recipient of the largest contract given to a free agent pitcher this winter strolls through the Nationals clubhouse without drawing any attention. He's just one of the guys. When reporters and fans cluster around the bullpen or one of the practice fields to watch this team's big-name pitchers throw, they seek out Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg or even Sean Doolittle, all instantly recognizable figures. Patrick Corbin? He's out there with everyone else, but the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles starter Andrew Cashner knew about the club's decision to hire Doug Brocail as pitching coach days before the news leaked. He kept it to himself, his approval muted until he arrived in camp. He wasn't going to be the one to break the story. They have a history. Cashner posted a 3.40 ERA in 28 starts with the Rangers in 2017 while working with Brocail, prompting former executive vice president Dan Duquette to give him a two-year deal worth a guaranteed $16...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - If there was any concern about the injuries Howie Kendrick and Michael A. Taylor spent the winter rehabbing from preventing them from participating fully in spring training, those fears should be quashed. Both Kendrick (returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon) and Taylor (who suffered hip and oblique injuries this winter in the Dominican Republic) will be in Saturday night's starting lineup for the Nationals' Grapefruit League opener against the Astros. The Nats...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Trey Mancini walked out of the cage today, passed Hunter Harvey in front of the bench and suggested that the right-hander stick with everything that he's doing in camp. If it ain't broke ... Mancini was smiling as he said it, a touch of sarcasm sprinkled in after Harvey locked him up during live batting practice. "He looked really good," Mancini said following the Orioles penultimate workout before Saturday's exhibition opener against the Twins. "Everything was working...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Michael A. Taylor went to the Dominican Republic in early December, the rare major league veteran who was willing to go play winter ball for the Gigantes del Cibao and try to implement some significant changes he and Nationals hitting coach Kevin Long made to his swing at the end of the 2018 season. It should've been a great proving ground for Taylor to try out those changes and allow him to report for spring training ahead of the curve. But two days in, Taylor pulled...

When the Orioles moved their spring training facilities to Sarasota, Fla., in 2010, officials pointed to the positive effect the franchise would bring to the economy of the Gulf Coast community. It turns out that the annual impact is much greater than anticipated. According Sarasota County's analysis of data it has been collecting since 2015, the Orioles have generated more than $360 million in cumulative economic impact since that time. In the most recent reporting period, the club brought...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Jonathan Villar said this morning that he expects to play second base for the Orioles this season. Not his preferred spot in the infield, but it keeps him in the lineup. The signing of Alcides Escobar to a minor league deal and the presence of other shortstop candidates in camp make it more likely that Villar stays at second, where he made 36 starts for the Orioles after coming to them in the Jonathan Schoop trade with the Brewers. He started 18 games at short. "For me, I...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Davey Martinez called Trea Turner into his office this week and told the speedy shortstop he wants him to attempt more stolen bases this season. How many? Let's just say even the ultra-aggressive Turner was taken aback. "Yeah, he gave me a number," Turner said. "And I was like: 'Wow, all right.'" Martinez later revealed to assembled reporters that he thinks if Turner "attempts 75-80, we'll be in great shape." If Turner's able to pull that off, he'd be in...

Among many areas where the Orioles can show improvement in 2019 is their starting rotation. Their 2017 rotation ranked last in the American League with a 5.70 ERA and .837 OPS against. Their 2018 starters ranked last with a 5.48 ERA and .850 OPS against. Plenty of room to get better. The Orioles did produce 64 quality starts to rank seventh in the AL and 18th in the majors. Also, O's starters received 352 runs of support, which ranked second-fewest in the majors. Overall, O's pitchers...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Day two of full-squad workouts at Nationals camp looked a lot like day one. Aside from the Hockey Hall of Famer in attendance this time. We'll get to Bobby Orr in just a moment. But first, the actual baseball stuff. Just as they did Tuesday, the Nats emerged from their morning "Circle of Trust" meeting and fanned out across the practice fields outside FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches to begin stretching and throwing. Infielders took grounders. Outfielders worked...