This is going to be a very different First-Year Player Draft for scouting director Gary Rajsich and his staff. The Orioles have more picks early in the draft and are allotted more money to spend in their bonus pool from MLB. After not having a selection last year until the 90th overall pick, which came in the third round, now the Orioles have five of the first 102 picks. They will select No. 25 overall in the first round, No. 36 overall (compensation for losing Nelson Cruz), No. 68 in the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Michael Almanzar hit a tie-breaking home run today in the top of the ninth inning, and the Orioles registered their first spring win, 3-2 over the Rays in Port Charlotte. Mike Yastrzemski added a sacrifice fly. The Rays scored a run in the bottom of the ninth off Daniel Rodriguez. If you had Rodriguez earning the Orioles' first save this spring, go directly to the window and pick up your money. Pitcher Suk-min Yoon has reached agreement on a contract with Kia, his former team...

VIERA, Fla. - Yunel Escobar has been scratched from today's Grapefruit League opener with what the team is calling "general soreness." Escobar was due to make his first appearance in a Nationals uniform in a game today after coming to Washington from the A's in a trade in mid-January. Kevin Frandsen, who was originally slated to serve as the designated hitter and hit ninth, will replace Escobar at second base, with Mike Carp taking over as the DH and batting seventh. The Nats expect Escobar...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Tyler Wilson and Rule 5 pick Jason Garcia each threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts today against the Rays in Port Charlotte. Wilson allowed two hits and Garcia permitted one. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning, when left-hander Mark Hendrickson gave up a run on two hits. The Orioles tied it in the eighth on Rey Navarro's single that scored David Lough, who reached on an error. Update: Michael Almanzar homered in the top of the ninth to...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Wei-Yin Chen threw two scoreless innings today against the Rays in Port Charlotte, Fla. He allowed one hit, a double by John Jaso, and struck out one. Miguel Gonzalez also is expected to work two innings tonight if his pitch count allows it. The Orioles are trying to work out a deal to let pitcher Suk-min Yoon out of his contract, which contains two more years, according to a source. Yoon is returning to South Korea and presently has no intention of reporting to minor league...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter didn't have much to say about pitcher Suk-min Yoon, who has returned to Korea and apparently won't come back to Sarasota. Yoon has two years left on his contract and is unhappy that he wasn't invited to major league camp after the Orioles removed him from the 40-man roster in August. Asked for his reaction, Showalter said, "I can't. We've all got a reaction to everything." Told that Yoon is disappointed about not being in camp,...

SARASOTA, Fla. - It appears that the Orioles and Korean right-hander Suk-min Yoon are parting ways after one disappointing season in the minors. According to a report out of Korea, Yoon has left Los Angeles and returned home. I have confirmation that he's scheduled to report to minor league camp on Saturday, but it doesn't appear that he'll be returning to Sarasota. The Orioles signed Yoon to a three-year, $5.575 million contract last February, but the deal didn't pan out. Visa issues...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Most of the Orioles' regulars are staying back at the complex for tonight's split-squad game against the Blue Jays at Ed Smith Stadium. Alejandro De Aza, Travis Snider, Ryan Flaherty and Everth Cabrera have their bags packed for Port Charlotte for the 1 p.m. game against the Rays. De Aza is batting leadoff today, with Cabrera hitting behind him. Steve Clevenger is behind the plate, making his first start of the spring. For the OriolesAlejandro De Aza RFEverth Cabrera 2BSteve...

VIERA, Fla. - We've known now for two days that Max Scherzer will take the mound later this evening when the Nationals open the exhibition season against the Mets. Former American League Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon will pitch for New York. Here's the Nationals' expected lineup against Colon: CF Denard Span3B Anthony Rendon RF Bryce Harper 1B Ryan Zimmerman C Wilson Ramos SS Ian Desmond 2B Yunel Escobar LF Tyler MooreDH Kevin Frandsen RHP Max Scherzer Certainly, a big storyline is how...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles haven't been allowed to ease into their exhibition schedule this spring. Rather than stick their toe in the water, they basically have to get a running start and cannonball into the pool. The first day required a trip to Lakeland to play the Tigers. The Orioles already have split-squad games on tap today against the Rays in Port Charlotte and the Blue Jays in Sarasota, and they travel to Dunedin on Friday. If they had to rate their least favorite trips on the...