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...

As Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins gets set for the new season - one where he could be the everyday center fielder - he said the major league experience he gained late last year is very valuable to him now. "I think it was pretty important," said Mullins, who made his major league debut Aug. 10. "You get the nerves out. You get to see a lot of the guys that you will be facing in the future already. And get to study them." Mullins had a remarkable debut, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two...

Luis Garcia can defend at shortstop, second base and third base. The 18-year-old played 78 games for low Single-A Hagerstown and 49 games for high Single-A Potomac, and made a name for himself with his hitting ability, as the Nats No. 3 prospect. Garcia made great strides with his work at high Single-A at such a young age, demonstrating batter's box awareness and patience similar to what we have seen from Juan Soto in his introduction to the major leagues. Carter Kieboom and Garcia have been...

It's been too long. Our last edition of 10 questions was before Christmas, and now the countdown to the report date for Orioles pitchers and catchers is in single digits. The team will be playing spring training games in less than three weeks. So, per usual, answer one or all 10 questions and provide short answers or answers that are very expansive. Respond to the answers from other readers to keep a good conversation going. But also feel free to skip any questions you like. But dive in on...

As spring training fast approaches, it's time to break down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series begins today with the starting rotation ... It's no secret how the Nationals have attempted to build a championship-caliber roster over the last seven seasons: with a dominant rotation leading the way. Trouble is, the 2018 version of that rotation didn't come close to holding up its end of the bargain and proved to be perhaps the No. 1 reason this team...