I went into spring training this year feeling that the Nationals were the favorites in the National League East by a pretty wide margin. I wasn't alone in this line of thinking. In fact, I believe the vast majority of the baseball world was with me. The Nats, after all, were coming off a 98-win season and their first division title in team history, had seemingly improved their roster with the additions of Dan Haren, Rafael Soriano and Denard Span, and would go into the 2013 season having...

Despite rumors that the Nationals were looking for a backup catcher earlier in the offseason, the Nats say they're comfortable with either Jhonatan Solano or Sandy Leon backing up Wilson Ramos behind the plate in 2014. Last season, Solano appeared in 24 games for the Nats and made one of the best plays of his young career in a 3-2 ballgame against Philadelphia. Relive his run-saving play at the plate in the video below and check back every Thursday for more memorable moments from 2013....

Earlier this week, Brian Roberts agreed to a one-year contract with the Yankees, ending his time in Baltimore. Roberts was drafted by the Orioles in the 1999 First-Year Player Draft and went on to become a two-time All-Star and a career .278/.349/.412 hitter in 13 seasons. To honor B-Rob's career with the Orioles, we're throwin' it back to one of his most memorable moments from 2013. Your browser does not support iframes.

In the last two days, the Orioles have reached agreement with closer Grant Balfour and traded for outfielder David Lough. What will today bring? Still waiting for another batch of confirmed minor league signings. And yes, the Orioles still want to add a starting pitcher and perhaps another left-handed bat. I've been wrong about second base all winter, so take this next observation with a grain of salt. It seems more likely that the Orioles will stay in-house and let Ryan Flaherty and Jemile...

The Orioles have filled two holes on their roster in the last two days. After reaching agreement with closer Grant Balfour yesterday on a two-year, $15 million deal, the Orioles have traded infielder Danny Valencia to the Royals for outfielder David Lough. Lough, 27, batted .286/.311/.413 in 96 games for the Royals this season and played all three outfield positions. He finished eighth in the American League Rookie of the Year balloting, leading the group in Wins Above Replacement (WAR)...

The Orioles today announced that they have acquired outfielder David Lough from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for infielder Danny Valancia. Lough, 27, batted .286/.311/.413 in 96 games for Kansas City in 2013, playing all three outfield positions. He finished 8th in the American League Rookie of the Year balloting, leading AL rookies in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) per both Baseball-Reference (2.7) and FanGraphs (2.4, tied with Tampa Bay's Wil Myers). Among all outfielders that played...

The Syracuse Chiefs are the third Triple-A team the Nationals have had as an affiliate in their nine years of existence. Today, the Nats announced that they'll be sticking with the Chiefs a while longer. The Nationals have agreed to a four-year player development contract with the Chiefs, who play in the Triple-A International League. The deal will begin in 2015 and run through the 2018 season. "This is the first PDC that we have signed with an affiliate in excess of two years and it...

The Washington Nationals today announced the signing of a four-year Player Development Contract extension (which begins in 2015) with the Syracuse Chiefs of the Triple-A International League through the 2018 season. Nationals President & General Manager Mike Rizzo, Nationals Vice President/Player Personnel Bob Boone, Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Player Development Doug Harris and Director of Player Development Mark Scialabba made the joint announcement. "This is the first PDC...

At the end-of-season strength and conditioning camp, right-handed pitcher Jake Johansen was one of the three strongest players on hand. Johansen has the frame, a 6-foot-6 and 235-lbs., and worked very hard in his first season to command his tremendous fastball, which hit 94-96 mph and occasionally touched 99 mph. Baseball America likes what its sees from Johansen. National writer Aaron Fitt has Johansen in the top 10 of the Nationals prospects. No. 7 RHP Jake Johansen "He has always had...

As of today, the Nationals almost certainly have their eight starting position players in place, barring some kind of shocking trade. They definitely have their top four starters set in stone now that Doug Fister is on board, and have a lengthy list of hurlers who will compete for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, including Ross Detwiler, Tanner Roark, Taylor Jordan, Ross Ohlendorf and Nathan Karns. We know how the back end of the bullpen will look, with Rafael Soriano returning as closer and...