Spring training starts today! Boy, that has a nice ring to it. While we bear with below-freezing temperatures in the mid-Atlantic, the Nationals are kicking off camp in Florida. It's time to dust off the cleats, warm up the arms and get ready for opening day. Before April 6 arrives, the Nats have a few adjustments to make. Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth have to get used to flipping left and right field. Tanner Roark needs to re-establish his bullpen dominance. And last - but definitely...

Today's the day! Spring training officially kicks off today in Sarasota. It's nice to have warm weather and Orioles baseball going on, even if it is hundreds of miles away from Baltimore. As camp gets under way, there are still questions that remain to be answered for the Birds. Near the top of the list: Will Matt Wieters be ready for opening day? Last season was short-lived for Wieters. He played in just 26 games before undergoing Tommy John surgery, but he made the most out of his time...

VIERA, Fla. - It's finally here. Nationals pitchers and catchers are due to report at Space Coast Stadium to begin preparing for a 2015 season that's loaded with expectations. World Series predictions surround this team, leaving heavy pressure resting on the shoulders, or arms, of a starting rotation that's as talented as the game has seen in the past few decades. The oddsmakers loved the Nats going into the 2015 season. How could they not after blowing away the National League East by 17...

SARASOTA, Fla. - With Orioles pitchers and catchers officially reporting to spring training this morning, the clubhouse will open to the media for an hour beginning at 8 a.m. The report dates aren't as significant these days with so many players showing up early. It's not like in the past when I'd stand inside an empty clubhouse waiting for guys to start trickling in, only to find out later that many of them posted at night or just phoned a team official to confirm their arrival. The...

When the Orioles announced their minor league staff assignments this week, it became official that some staff members do return to the organization, but at different affiliates from 2014. Not that this is all that unusual on the farm. It happens pretty much every year. As for the managers, Orlando Gomez moves back to Single-A Frederick after two years as Gulf Coast League skipper. He led Frederick to the 2011 Carolina League championship. That is the last title by any O's affiliate. Luis...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter couldn't comment today on the pending one-year deal with shortstop Everth Cabrera because it hadn't been finalized. Cabrera took his physical and the Orioles are waiting on the results. They were thorough, as usual, due to past hamstring and shoulder issues. Also, Cabrera was charged in November with resisting arrest after being stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana two months earlier. A trial is set for April, and...

Left-hander Sammy Solis is looking to have a complete season with the Nationals, and hoping to stay healthy after fighting through injuries the past few campaigns. Solis was limited to only five games in 2014 after being shut down in early June due to elbow discomfort. He had 13 starts in 2013. In 2012, he underwent Tommy John surgery. His career-high innings pitched was 96 2/3 in 2011. The 26-year-old was a second-round selection in 2010. Nationals director of player development Mark Scialabba...

The first official spring training workout day for Orioles pitchers and catchers at Ed Smith Stadium will be held on Friday, February 20. Fans are invited to watch the team's workouts on the back fields at the complex each day until March 4, when home games begin. There is no charge to attend, and free parking is available in the East Lot off of 12th Street and Tuttle Avenue. Orioles pitchers and catchers will take the field at approximately 10:00 a.m. on Friday, February 20. The club will...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter confirmed today that catcher Matt Wieters will serve as the designated hitter in the first intrasquad game and "more than likely" the March 3 exhibition opener against the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla. Wieters won't move behind the plate until March 17 as he continues his recovery from ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. "I told him to break out his gray pants because he will make some road trips, as will Manny (Machado), which they...

With the news of the Orioles' potential signing of free agent Everth Cabrera, two questions come to mind: What role will he play on the team, and are the Orioles taking a risk on a player with baggage? While Cabrera was an All-Star in 2013 and led the National League in stolen bases with 44 in 2012, he served a 50-game suspension at the end of 2013 season for his involvement in the Biogenisis performance-enhancing drug investigation. Beyond that, he was charged in November with resisting...