If you attended this year's NatsFest, you were able to hear the latest offseason news and see your favorite Nationals players. Take a look at our albums here. At the event, we found out that Danny Espinosa played with a torn rotator cuff last season and that Bryce Harper declined an invitation to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Also, at NatsFest, Jayson Werth announced that he thinks the Nats are "the best team in baseball." Similarly, Ian Desmond said last week that he...

One of the biggest surprises of spring training 2012 occurred when manager Buck Showalter named Jake Arrieta his opening day starter. It became more probable as we inched closer to the day that the Orioles broke camp, but I don't think anyone saw it coming when pitchers and catchers reported in February. You probably know the rest of the story. Arrieta blanked the Minnesota Twins on two hits over seven innings at Camden Yards, justifying Showalter's faith in him, but the right-hander went...

Did you know that the Orioles used 26 pitchers last season? Yes, Chris Davis counts. As the O's look toward spring training, they have many pitchers to evaluate, including their newest acquisition, Jair Jurrjens. The former Braves hurler is expected to be officially introduced next week. The Birds signed 31-year-old Chris Dickerson to a minor-league deal, which includes an invitation to spring training, on Tuesday. Rob Delaney, Manny Delcarmen and Chris Pettit, all of whom have major league...

Pitching coach Rick Adair called into the "Hot Stove Baseball" show on WBAL Radio today, and he was asked about Japanese left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada, who underwent ligament-reconstructive surgery on his elbow last May and still hasn't appeared in a game with the Orioles. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters during the Winter Meetings that Wada was ahead of schedule in his recovery. This is true, but Wada doesn't figure to be ready to break camp with the team on opening day. "He's...

Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman had four cortisone shots during the 2012 season as he battled inflammation in his right shoulder. Despite a slow start because of that aching shoulder, Zimmerman came on strong to finish with a .282 average, 25 homers and 95 RBIs. He also hit .381 in five games versus St. Louis in the National League Division Series. That critical third cortisone shot at Baltimore in late June turned his season around. Zimmerman underwent successful arthroscopic surgery...

He was not a high draft pick and he has made just one start in 89 career pro appearances. Jason Gurka hasn't garnered much attention during his Orioles minor league career, but after back-to-back very solid seasons, he has slowly but surely worked his way up and is someone worth watching in 2013. Gurka was the Orioles' 15th-round pick out of Angelina (Texas) Junior College in 2008. The Houston native turned 25 on Jan. 10. In his O's career, he is 8-8 with an ERA of 3.38 over 160 innings...

Washington Nationals broadcast partners Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) and 106.7 The Fan will broadcast a total of 13 Nationals Spring Training matchups throughout the weeks leading up to the start of the 2013 regular season. The Nationals 2013 Grapefruit League schedule features six games televised by MASN and five games airing on 106.7 The Fan, with five broadcasts on partner station CBS Sports Radio 1580. In addition, ESPN will broadcast the Nationals-New York Mets contest from Viera,...

Another member of the Orioles family has passed away. Former catcher Earl Williams, who spent the 1973 and 1974 seasons in Baltimore, died at 64. No other details are available at this time. Update: According to the Newark Star-Ledger, Williams was diagnosed with acute leukemia last July. The Orioles acquired Williams and Taylor Duncan from the Atlanta Braves on Nov. 30, 1972 for Davey Johnson, Pat Dobson, Roric Harrison and Johnny Oates. Williams batted .245/.330/.411 with 36 homers and...

The Nationals have released their 2013 spring training broadcast schedule, which begins Feb. 24 against the Miami Marlins with a radio game on 106.7 The Fan. The first televised game is Feb. 28 on MASN as the Nationals battle the New York Mets. Five games will also be broadcast on CBS Sports Radio 1580 AM, the first on Feb. 26 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., against the Atlanta Braves. MASN previously released its television schedule for spring training 2013. You can access that schedule here....

The Nationals do not want to have to go into their 2013 defense of the National League East crown without left-hander Gio Gonzalez. This week, however, Gonzalez's name was linked to a South Florida company that allegedly distributed performance-enhancing drugs to pro athletes. If, in a worst-case scenario, Gonzalez is suspended for any period of time, what kind of options do the Nationals have as a choice for a possible sixth starter? Free agents Javier Vazquez, Jonathan Sanchez, Joe...