SARASOTA, Fla. - No matter what happens today when right-hander Alex Cobb makes his first spring start for the Orioles, he's well ahead of where he was at this time last year. This time last year he was a free agent looking for a team. On March 21 he was signed to a four-year deal by the Orioles. The late signing led to a late start to his season, a rushed attempt to get him ready. He pitched in his first game for the Orioles April 14 at Boston. He allowed 15 runs in seven innings his first...

So will the Nats Park crowd greet former Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper in a Phillies uniform April 2 for that first at-bat with resounding boos? Or will there be a standing ovation like Ian Desmond enjoyed in his return to D.C. after leaving for another team? If there are boos, Harper will let it wash off like he has every other time he has been greeted with a negative reaction in an opponent's park. Every time I covered the Nats on the road, in places like Milwaukee, Atlanta, New York,...

This day, in spite of what his most ardent fans hoped, was always bound to come. From the moment the Nationals drafted him No. 1 in the country nearly nine years ago, folks began speculating where Bryce Harper would end up playing once he became a free agent. Would it be New York, home to the most historically successful franchise and some of the most historically important players in baseball? Would it be Chicago, home to an iconic franchise and ballpark with a clubhouse already full of young...

The Phillies this offseason have strengthened their defense, added to their bullpen and added three quality players - shortstop Jean Segura, catcher J.T. Realmuto and reliever David Robertson - and two former National League MVP outfielders, Andrew McCutchen and former National Bryce Harper, who has a 13-year, $330 million free-agent contract to play for one of the Nationals' division rivals. So, does that make the Phillies, who haven't had a winning season since 2011, the odds-on favorite to...

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The competition for the starting job in right field is intensifying with impressive showings from Joey Rickard and Yusniel Diaz. Rickard went 2-for-3 today with a triple, RBI single and run scored. The former Rule 5 pick also stole his first base of the spring and is 4-for-8. Diaz, part of the return from the Dodgers in the Manny Machado trade and the No. 1 prospect in the organization, went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. He's hitting .500 with seven hits...

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Bryce Harper finally has selected his new home. He's going to Philadelphia. For a really long time. Harper agreed to terms today with the Phillies on a 13-year, $330 million contract, according to a source familiar with the deal. The contract, which is pending a physical, includes no opt-out clauses and guarantees he'll play in Philadelphia through the 2031 season, when he'll be 39 years old. Fancred's Jon Heyman was first to report the signing. The deal also means the...

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Dylan Bundy can joke about his poor spring debuts. With his new manager, Brandon Hyde, and anyone else within earshot. He didn't add to his legacy today, allowing one run over two innings against the Phillies at Spectrum Field. Bundy surrendered four hits, but the damage was minimal. The Phillies loaded the bases with no outs in the second and settled for the one run on Austin Listi's sacrifice fly. "You don't want that to happen during the season, so yeah, get them out...

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Max Scherzer wasn't the only veteran who made the long trip across Alligator Alley for today's game against the Red Sox. Matt Adams is here as well. And like Scherzer, he's making the most of it. Batting cleanup and starting at first base, Adams launched a second-inning home run that cleared the stands down the right field line and departed jetBlue Park altogether. He added an RBI double down the right field line in the top of the third, helping the Nationals open up a 5-0...

SARASOTA, Fla. - ESPN broadcaster Kevin Brown is joining the Orioles Radio Network in 2019, serving as a play-by-play announcer for about 50 games this season. Brown's hiring comes on the heels of Joe Angel's retirement after 19 seasons as the radio play-by-play voice of the Orioles. Angel spent more than four decades calling major league games, including two World Series, 44 postseason games and seven no-hitters. Brown currently serves as a play-by-play commentator on ESPN's coverage of...

The Orioles today announced the broadcast team for the 2019 season for MASN, the Orioles Radio Network, and Orioles and MASN digital platforms. The talent lineup includes the return of several veteran broadcasters, increased roles for familiar faces, new additions to the broadcast team, and the retirement of a radio legend. Longtime broadcaster Joe Angel will retire after 19 seasons as the "Voice of the Orioles" on the Orioles Radio Network. Angel spent more than four decades calling Major...