The Nationals have increased the competition for their backup catcher job, signing veteran Koyie Hill to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league spring training. Hill, 34, has played in parts of 10 big league seasons, seeing time with the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Cubs and Marlins. He appeared in 18 games with Miami last season, hitting .155 with a .373 OPS in 58 at-bats. A career .206 hitter, Hill had his best big league season in 2009, when he posted a .636 OPS in 83 games with...

Even though we're around a week away from the start of spring training, there are still a handful of big names left out there on the free agent market, guys that can make a significant impact on a team. Starters A.J. Burnett, Ubaldo Jimenez, Ervin Santana and Bronson Arroyo are still without a team for the 2014 season. Closer Fernando Rodney will bolster the back of some team's bullpen and add some flair to the ninth inning. First baseman/DH Kendrys Morales, right fielder Nelson Cruz and...

Have the Orioles found a late bloomer in outfielder David Lough? Manager Buck Showalter talks often about players sometimes finding themselves in their late 20s and Lough, who was acquired in a trade with Kansas City in December, turned 28 on Jan. 20. Lough has paid his dues and maybe this is his time. He's played 677 games with 2,593 at-bats in the minors. He's played 401 games at the Triple-A level since 2010. By contrast, Manny Machado played 219 minor league games - none at Triple-A -...

Once word spread yesterday that the Braves signed first baseman Freddie Freeman to an eight-year extension worth $135 million, you probably wondered how much Chris Davis is worth to the Orioles. Join the club. Freeman is 24. Davis turns 28 next month, a late bloomer who didn't find a regular spot in a lineup until the 2012 season. Freeman is a career .285/.358/.466 hitter in 471 games and 1,908 plate appearances, with 93 doubles, 68 home runs and 280 RBIs. Last season, he batted...

Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Nationals' plan to move their spring training base to Fort Myers is in jeopardy. This time, the Nats' hopes of becoming the third major league club to train in Fort Myers were dealt a blow because the developer the team and the city hoped would foot the bill for renovations at City of Palms Park has pulled out of the project, deeming it too costly. According to this article in Florida Today, Fort Meyers Mayor Randy Henderson is no longer...

Washington Nationals fans will be able to take advantage of an exciting lineup of group theme nights throughout the 2014 season, including the return of the ever-popular Pups in the Park, Scout Day and Youth Baseball and Softball Day games. The 2014 group theme night calendar includes: * DECA Day - April 10: All local members of the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) are invited to the 2nd Annual DECA DAY at Nationals Park. Guests will enjoy a pregame educational event and...

With FanFest officially in the rear-view mirror, we are only eight days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training. Several offseason report cards and organizational overviews are starting to come out. In case you missed any of the latest news about the Orioles, you're in the right spot. * The Orioles have had perhaps the quietest offseason in the American League East. There's simply no way to sugarcoat it. Like many others, USA TODAY's Scott Boeck believes the Orioles...

Eight days. Eight days are all that remain of a baseball-less offseason. That's right, pitchers and catchers report next Thursday. As we approach the final week of the offseason, let's take a look at what others are saying about the Nats. * The Nationals' spring training facility saga took another turn this past week. The Nationals have been linked to Fort Myers' stadium as a possible new spring training destination. Those links, however, appear to be in jeopardy. According to...

A few days after the Orioles report to spring training on Feb. 13, several minor league players will report to an early minor league camp at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota, Fla. Here is the list of players reporting on Feb. 21: Pitchers: Steven Brault Parker Bridwell Zach Davies Oliver Drake Jason Gurka Hunter Harvey Branden Kline Aaron Laffey Marcel Prado Stephen Tarpley Luis Vizcaino Brady Wager Tyler Wilson Catchers: David Freitas Steel Russell Wynston Sawyer Chance Sisco Brian...

Scan the list of left-handed pitchers that the Nationals have invited to big league camp this spring and you see a wide variety of names. You have your established starter in Gio Gonzalez. You have your veteran reliever in Jerry Blevins. You have a possible swingman in Ross Detwiler. You have a number of guys with experience at Triple-A now competing for big league jobs in Xavier Cedeno, Tyler Robertson and Danny Rosenbaum. You have a former top prospect who has dropped in many evaluators'...