One of the major benefits to the Orioles' move to Sarasota, Fla., from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., three years ago was the shortening of the distance between the club's major and minor league spring facilities. Even though the O's big league camp had been at Fort Lauderdale Stadium from 1996-2009, the minor leaguers remained at least a three-hour drive away at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota, making it difficult to get pitchers extra innings against farmhands or for a major league manager to easily...

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Good morning from Fort Myers, where I spent the night last night ahead of today's Nationals spring training finale against the Red Sox. Unfortunately, the Nationals had to make the nearly two-hour drive back from Jupiter to Viera following yesterday's game against the Cardinals, and then leave their Space Coast Stadium complex at around 7 a.m. this morning in order to head all the way across the state to make it here. Yeah, I bet all those guys are ready to head north to...

SARASOTA, Fla. - I always know we're nearing the end of spring training when I buy a case of bottled waters and immediately stress over the possibility that I won't have enough time to drink all of it before boarding my flight to Baltimore. Two days and 17 bottles left. Unless I'm confronted with a major thirst, I don't like my chances. The four Myoplex french vanilla protein shakes, the two yogurts, the one bag of frozen Brussels sprouts and the half an avocado are going down. Just not...

I see that several fans are expressing the opinion that the Orioles should be starting their top pitching prospect, Dylan Bundy, at Single-A Frederick and not Single-A Delmarva, where he is going to begin the season. I think the Orioles are doing exactly the right thing with Bundy in sending him to the Shorebirds right now. The fans' expectations are that Bundy will dominate from the start and blow through the South Atlantic League like a hot knife through butter. That could happen, but it...

JUPITER, Fla. - Danny Espinosa ripped a solo home run to right field in today's win over the Cardinals, giving him his first homer and first RBI this spring. But the Nationals second baseman was actually more pleased with his single to left off Cardinals closer Jason Motte in the top of the ninth inning than he was with the longball earlier in the game. "That was a two-strike count," Espinosa said. "I stuck with my approach I try to stay with all the time. I was able just to really put...

JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals made one roster move after today's game, reassigning catcher Carlos Maldonado to minor league camp. Maldonado, who really impressed manager Davey Johnson this spring, will back up Jhonatan Solano at Triple-A Syracuse. "I hate to lose him," Johnson said. "He's been like my favorite chair." The Nats now officially have 33 players left in major league camp. Gio Gonzalez didn't just throw five very impressive innings today in his final outing before the...

JUPITER, Fla. - Davey Johnson walked into the Nationals clubhouse after today's 2-1 win over the Cardinals with a giant smile on his face. "That's baseball at its best," Johnson said. "If that doesn't get your motor running, nothing will." The last inning and a half of today's ballgame was incredibly entertaining. Working in a tie game in the bottom of the eighth, Henry Rodriguez was involved in an intense battle with Cardinals leadoff hitter Tyler Greene, and eventually struck out...

The Washington Nationals today reassigned catcher Carlos Maldonado to minor league camp. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. The Nationals currently have 33 players in their big league camp.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter was asked whether Taiwanese left-hander Wei-Yin Chen is assured a spot in the rotation. "Barring something that could happen," he replied. "There's always a way, but barring something outside what we have here, yes." Chen served up three home runs today, but Showalter laid partial blame on the conditions. None of the runs were earned on Desmond Jennings' grand slam following an error by shortstop J.J. Hardy, who dropped the ball as he was removing...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles hit four home runs today and still lost to the Rays, 8-5, at Ed Smith Stadium. J.J. Hardy homered twice. Nick Johnson and Nick Markakis also connected. The last three homers came against Rays reliever Matt Torra. I'll pass along manager Buck Showalter's quotes a little later, including how he confirmed that Wei-Yin Chen is in the rotation. He also mentioned that Alfredo Simon didn't pitch in a minor league game today. It was the club's decision and it wasn't...