There has been speculation about the Nationals potentially looking to upgrade at catcher this winter. Wilson Ramos, 28, is coming off his most durable season in the majors, but also his least productive at the plate. Ramos slumped to a career-low .229/.258/.358 slash line with 101 strikeouts in 504 plate appearances. He also hit into 16 double plays in 128 games. And despite being named as a Gold Glove finalist in 2015, there remain concerns with his defense, particularly on plays at the plate....

The Orioles aren't expected to announce their new deal with first baseman Chris Davis until the end of the week. As always, patience is a virtue and a requirement. Davis must undergo a physical, which he should pass as soon as he's done powerlifting the team doctors. A player will come off the 40-man roster to create room for Davis. The Orioles could drop infielder Joey Terdoslavich, claimed off waivers from the Braves on Jan. 8. There's also catcher Fernando Pena, acquired from the Royals...

Most Orioles fans know all about Dylan Bundy's story since he got to pro ball. High draft pick. Lived up to the hype in 2012. Top-ranked prospect. But Tommy John surgery in 2013 and shoulder issues last season have limited the 23-year-old right-hander to 63 innings over the last three seasons. Now out of options, Bundy will be counted on in the major leagues this year. If he can stay healthy, his time has come to help the Orioles. But do fans know Bundy's story before he became an Oriole? I...

After starting 195 games from 2002-2010 for three different teams, left-hander Oliver Perez found himself out of the majors. He ended up at Double-A Harrisburg, where Nationals pitching coordinator Spin Williams made a recommendation that eventually resurrected his career. "Williams talked to me a lot," Perez said. "I say thanks to him. I know him from the Pirates. He told me, 'You pitch really good against lefties. As soon as you get to the big leagues, go to the bullpen and figure out...

One thing we probably can count on yet again from the Orioles is a lot of home runs. They figure once again to rank among the major league team homer leaders this season. In fact, since 2012, the Orioles lead the majors with 854 home runs. That is 62 homers ahead of the next closest team, the Toronto Blue Jays at 792. The Orioles recorded their fourth consecutive season with at least 200 home runs last year. It marks the longest such streak in club history and the O's currently hold the...

The Orioles don't intend to sign Chris Davis to a seven-year, $161 million deal to have him play right field or serve as the primary designated hitter. He's here to play first base, with the ability to move around in specific cases. As it now stands, Mark Trumbo figures to get most of his at-bats as the designated hitter. However, the Orioles still haven't figured out who's playing right field and they haven't explained how Davis' return is going to impact Trumbo. The subject is bound to...

Another pitcher who really had a very strong and very consistent 2015 season was right-handed starter Austin Voth. Baseball America's scouting department was also impressed with the University of Washington product's advancing skills. He is the No. 9 Nationals prospect on Baseball America's top 10. No. 9 RHP Austin Voth: The 23-year-old from Redmond, Wash., went 6-7 in 27 starts (28 games) in 2015, all with Double-A Harrisburg. Voth recorded 148 strikeouts in 157 1/3 innings, surrendering...

Multiple injuries had the Nationals experimenting in the outfield most of last season. Danny Espinosa and Clint Robinson, both career infielders, logged several innings in the outfield for the first time in the majors. Michael A. Taylor was expected to receive more seasoning in the minors. Instead, he ended up as the opening day center fielder and leadoff hitter, and appeared in 138 games. Even Reed Johnson and Matt den Dekker, who were acquired in the final days of spring training, made the...

Taking a look at some of the impact of the Orioles' seven-year deal with first baseman Chris Davis: * While the Orioles lost Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz via free agency last winter - and pitcher Wei-Yin Chen this offseason - they still have a solid core group of players under team control for several more seasons. Some are signed to long-term contracts and others are under team control through arbitration and not eligible for free agency for several years. Through 2017: J.J. Hardy, Chris...

The questions keep pouring in regarding the Orioles' seven-year, $161 million deal with first baseman Chris Davis. Mostly how it may impact other moves. The Orioles aren't giving Yoenis Cespedes $90 million, let alone whatever figure he has in mind beyond what they're paying Davis. As I wrote yesterday, they'd be fine with a one-year deal if he's willing to go that route. ESPN's Buster Olney broke down the structure of Davis' contract, which includes $42 million in deferred money. Davis...