Nationals announce 25-man opening day roster

Nationals announce 25-man opening day roster
The Washington Nationals announced their 2016 Opening Day 25-man roster on Sunday. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. The Nationals' Opening Day roster is comprised of 12 pitchers (nine right-handed pitchers, three left-handed pitchers), two catchers, six infielders and five outfielders. Two players who joined Nationals' Spring Training as non-roster invitees made the club: RHP Matt Belisle and OF Chris Heisey. Eight of the players on the...
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Orioles make eight roster moves

Orioles make eight roster moves
The Orioles today announced that they have reassigned right-handers Pedro Beato and Todd Redmond, outfielder L.J. Hoes, and infielders Paul Janish and Steve Tolleson to minor league camp, and have optioned catcher Francisco Pena to Triple-A Norfolk. Additionally, left-hander Zach Phillips and right-hander Chaz Roe have cleared waivers and have been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. With these moves, the Orioles now have 28 players on the active roster and one non-roster invitee at the conclusion...
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Treinen gets final bullpen spot, Heisey will be right-handed pinch-hitter

Treinen gets final bullpen spot, Heisey will be right-handed pinch-hitter
Right-hander Blake Treinen has secured the final spot in the Nationals bullpen, while veteran Chris Heisey has claimed a role as a backup outfielder and right-handed pinch-hitter. After Friday night's 4-3 win in an exhibition game against the Twins at Nationals Park, the Nats made a series of roster moves that finalized the composition of manager Dusty Baker's seven-man bullpen and made the bench picture much clearer. Outfielder Matt den Dekker and right-hander Trevor Gott were optioned to...
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Nationals lineup vs. Twins (with Twins lineup)

Nationals lineup vs. Twins (with Twins lineup)
The Nationals are stretching in right field, Dusty Baker is about to address the media and fans are already lining up at the center field gates at Nationals Park. Who cares if it's a meaningless exhibition game? It's baseball and that's what counts. We'll have to see if the weather gods will cooperate to allow the first of two exhibition scraps against the Minnesota Twins to be played tonight. Earlier in the week, it was supposed to rain most of today; the current forecast for tonight's...
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Orioles option Oliver Drake to Triple-A

Orioles option Oliver Drake to Triple-A
The Orioles today announced that they have optioned right-hander Oliver Drake to Triple-A Norfolk With this move, the Orioles now have 38 players at Major League Spring Training, including six non-roster invitees.
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Orioles set franchise record for spring training home sellout games

Orioles set franchise record for spring training home sellout games
With today's crowd of 5,441 for the final home game of Orioles Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in 2016, the Orioles have drawn a total of 119,029 fans for 16 home games in Sarasota this season, including a club record 11 home sellouts. This marks the second-highest attendance for an Orioles Spring Training in franchise history. Since moving its Major League operations to Sarasota, 765,313 fans have enjoyed Orioles Spring Training baseball at Ed Smith Stadium. The Orioles set a franchise...
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Orioles announce opening day plans

Orioles announce opening day plans
The Orioles today have announced plans for the first home game of the 2016 season, Monday, April 4, at 3:05 p.m. ET against the Minnesota Twins. PREGAME FUN AROUND THE YARD To allow fans the opportunity to experience the excitement of Opening Day, the entire ballpark will open at noon on Monday. Each fan will receive a 2016 schedule Fathead® decal, presented by Pizza Boli's, at the gates. Roving musical groups will entertain fans on Eutaw Street and the main concourses. PREGAME...
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Opposite dugout: Rebuilding Braves pose Nats' first test of new season

Opposite dugout: Rebuilding Braves pose Nats' first test of new season
Manager: Fredi Gonzalez (6th season) Record: 67-95 (fourth in NL East in 2015) Last 10 games: Season opener Who to watch: 1B Freddie Freeman (18 HR, 66 RBIs), CF Ender Inciarte (.303, 21 SB), RF Nick Markakis (.296/.370/.376) RHP Julio Teheran (11-8, 4.04 ERA), RHP Jason Grilli (2.94 ERA, 24 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (5-14 in 2015) Pitching probables: April 4: RHP Max Scherzer (14-12, 2.79 ERA) vs. RHP Julio Teheran (11-8, 4.04 ERA), 4:10 p.m., MASN2April 6: RHP Stephen...
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Orioles reassign Audry Perez to minor league camp

Orioles reassign Audry Perez to minor league camp
The Orioles today announced that they have reassigned catcher Audry Perez to minor league camp. With this move, the Orioles now have 39 players at Major League Spring Training, including six non-roster invitees.
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O's scout playing in game this afternoon to honor mother with cancer

O's scout playing in game this afternoon to honor mother with cancer
This afternoon's Single-A spring training game pitting Orioles farmhands against Red Sox minor leaguers at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota will provide a special memory for a member of the Orioles family and his mom. Orioles scout Ryan Powell will again don a uniform to fulfill his cancer-stricken mother's wish of seeing him play in one more game. He is signing a one-day contract with the Orioles, allowing him to take the field in front of his family. Wendy Powell was diagnosed with brain cancer...
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A few words about the Space Coast - go-tos, to-gos and friends who'll be missed

A few words about the Space Coast - go-tos, to-gos and friends who'll be missed
Earlier this morning, on the day of the final scheduled Nationals game at Space Coast Stadium, my colleague Mark Zuckerman penned a thoughtful farewell to Viera. I'd like to add a few comments about the community that has been the Nationals' spring training home since 2005, one that has welcomed both fans and media members with open arms. Saying goodbye is difficult. Whether it was reporters making the Space Coast their home away from home for six or seven weeks as winter morphed into spring...
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Orioles option Odrisamer Despaigne to Triple-A Norfolk

Orioles option Odrisamer Despaigne to Triple-A Norfolk
The Orioles today announced that they have optioned right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne to Triple-A Norfolk. With this move, the Orioles now have 41 players at Major League Spring Training, including seven non-roster invitees.
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Christian Walker optioned to Triple-A Norfolk

Christian Walker optioned to Triple-A Norfolk
The Orioles today announced that they have optioned infielder/outfielder Christian Walker to Triple-A Norfolk. With this move, the Orioles now have 43 players at Major League Spring Training, including eight non-roster invitees.
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Remembering the Orioles' trip to Havana and what's happened since

Remembering the Orioles' trip to Havana and what's happened since
This week's exhibition game in Havana between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team is another example of baseball being used as a positive step forward in the thaw of diplomatic relations between the United States and the island nation. During much of the media coverage of Tuesday's game, it was noted that the last Major League Baseball team to play in Cuba was the Orioles, who traveled to Havana for the first game in a home-and-home series with the Cuban National Team 17 year...
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Orioles host sixth annual All Faiths Food Drive on March 26

Orioles host sixth annual All Faiths Food Drive on March 26
On Saturday, March 26, the Orioles will host the sixth annual All Faiths Food Drive. Fans attending the 1:05 p.m. game against the Boston Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items and/or monetary donations to benefit the All Faiths Food Bank. Volunteers will collect all donations at the gates of the ballpark. Since 2011, more than 4,000 pounds of food and more than $5,200 in cash donations have been collected at the yearly food drive to help people in need...
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Orioles sign left-hander Zach Phillips to one-year contract

Orioles sign left-hander Zach Phillips to one-year contract
The Orioles today announced that they have signed left-hander Zach Phillips to a one-year contract. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Orioles have designated left-hander Chris Jones for assignment. Phillips, 29, pitched for Triple-A Charlotte last season in the Chicago White Sox organization, going 1-1 with a 3.13 ERA (19 ER/54.2 IP), 64 strikeouts, and 12 saves over 46 relief appearances. In 365 career minor league games (98 starts), he has gone 39-45 with a 3.85 ERA (369 ER/863.1 IP),...
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Orioles reassign Marte, Beliveau to minor league camp

Orioles reassign Marte, Beliveau to minor league camp
The Orioles today announced that they have reassigned outfielder Alfredo Marte and left-hander Jeff Beliveau to minor league camp. With these moves, the Orioles now have 43 players at Major League Spring Training, including eight non-roster invitees.
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Orioles make two roster moves

Orioles make two roster moves
The Orioles today announced that they have optioned right-hander Parker Bridwell and left-hander Chris Lee to Double-A Bowie. With these moves, the Orioles now have 45 players at Major League Spring Training, including 10 non-roster invitees.
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Setting our Orioles guest blogger rotation for 2016

Setting our Orioles guest blogger rotation for 2016
For baseball fans, the two most cherished words in the English language are, "Play ball!" That cry signifies the start of a new season full of renewed hope. For MASNsports.com, that also means getting our coverage plans in order for what we hope will be a memorable season of Orioles baseball. Since 2011, we've shared our pages with some of the myriad of guest bloggers who write daily - and often more frequently - about the O's. If there's an opinion to be stated, a move to be critiqued, a...
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Introducing our Nationals guest blogger lineup for 2016

Introducing our Nationals guest blogger lineup for 2016
Back in 2005, when the Nationals arrived from Montreal, they filled a tremendous void in Washington, D.C. Generations of fans who had not had a team to call their own suddenly did, parents could take their children to games and a new crop of baseball fans was born. So was a new kind of fan - those with keyboards at their disposal and opinions that flowed like frosty beer at the Red Porch. Fervent Nationals fans descended upon the blogosphere in numbers that made other baseball towns envious....
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