Fans of all ages can fully immerse themselves in the spring training experience a week from Saturday at Sarasota Springfest at Ed Smith Stadium. The chance to see pitchers and catchers going through their workouts in the sunshine in February has always drawn fans, but from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16, they can do more than watch. The day will include a behind-the-scenes tour of the Orioles' spring training home, and the opportunity to have a catch on the field, take part in a "Pitch...

The Orioles invite fans of all ages to celebrate the start of Spring Training at Sarasota Springfest, a free family-friendly event at Ed Smith Stadium on Saturday, February 16. Along with watching Orioles pitchers and catchers practice on the back fields, fans can also enjoy games and interactive activities in the stadium from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. The fourth annual Sarasota Springfest event will feature a question and answer session with Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins at approximately...

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 catching corps ... The Nationals didn't get enough production from their catchers the last two seasons. Of this, no one can deny. Matt Wieters, well-liked as he was by members of the pitching staff and the rest of the clubhouse, simply could not hit well enough to justify as much playing time as he received. Trouble was, none of the Nats'...

Give Orioles lefty pitching prospect Keegan Akin credit for being smart enough to know that while he had a strong 2018 season, hitters won't care about that when they face him in 2019. And Akin did have one impressive 2018 season. For Double-A Bowie, he went 14-7 with an ERA of 3.27 in 25 starts. Over 137 2/3 innings, he allowed 114 hits with 58 walks, 142 strikeouts and a .225 batting average against. Akin was named co-Minor League Pitcher of the Year by the Orioles, winning the Jim Palmer...

With exactly one week remaining before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, the Orioles are applying the finishing touches to the construction of their minor league staffs and an announcement is coming within the next few days. Certainly before I board my Monday flight to Sarasota. What do we know? Well, let's start with Gary Kendall, who's replacing Ron Johnson as manager at Triple-A Norfolk. Mike Griffin returns as Tides pitching coach. Buck Britton moves up from low Single-A...

The Austin Brice era with the Orioles was fleeting. It lasted about a month. The Marlins have claimed Brice off waivers after the Orioles designated him for assignment on Jan. 28 to create a spot for infielder Jack Reinheimer on the 40-man roster. Reinheimer was claimed off waivers from the Rangers. The Orioles claimed Brice from the Angels on Jan. 4 and designated infielder Breyvic Valera for assignment. They traded Valera to the Giants the following day for cash considerations. Brice, 26, is...

OK, Nationals fans, a friendly reminder from your friends at MASN: We're all psyched that pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach in six days, and that the Nats' first spring training game - which you can watch on MASN - takes place in two weeks and change, on Feb. 23. But we'd hate to see you neglect your sweetheart in the excitement. Valentine's Day is one week from today, and if you forget to pick up those chocolates, order those flowers or get that Alfa Romeo in the driveway -...

After a busy offseason, 2019 is sure to be thrilling both on and off the field. Fans coming to Nationals Park will be treated to an exciting National League East Division race, and there will be several new promotions and special events for fans to enjoy. The Washington Nationals are excited to announce the team's full 2019 promotional calendar, which can be found online at nationals.com/Promotions! Single game tickets for all 2019 regular season games, excluding Opening Day, will go on sale...

It's finally here. Well, almost. By this time next week, the Orioles will have returned to thier spring roost at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla., and spring training will have begun. Before you know it, Grapefruit League games will be underway, which means March 28 and the start of the 2019 regular season won't be far behind. Takes the chill off a cold winter's day, doesn't it? But before baseball begins anew, we'll jump in the MASN way-back machine just one more time and...

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 bullpen ... A position of instability and turbulence for years, the Nationals bullpen entered the 2018 season as a legitimately perceived strength. The three-headed "Law Firm" of late-inning relievers general manager Mike Rizzo acquired during the summer of 2017 all returned, and the rest of the group featured a balanced combination of...