Nix on his new opportunity, Lough on his fresh start

SARASOTA, Fla. - Infielders Jayson Nix and Rey Navarro have reported to camp, leaving outfielder Delmon Young and infielder Michael Almanzar as the only Orioles still marked absent. Position players aren't due in camp until Tuesday. If memory serves, Almanzar was the last Oriole to report in 2014. Catcher Caleb Joseph returned to camp this morning after leaving yesterday to be with his wife, Brooke, who's expecting their first child. She's fine and the couple is still waiting for their baby to arrive. Going back to Nix, he told us that he signed a minor league deal with the Orioles last week because it seemed like a good fit after facing them a lot over the past few years. "It seemed like they have a pretty good thing going over here, a good team, good chemistry and a team that most importantly is winning and wants to win and is in a position to win," he said. Nix, 32, has played for eight teams in seven years and is a career .212/.282/.345. He's played every position in the majors except center field and catcher. He brings defense to the table. "What I've done the last few years, doing a variety of things," he said. "Playing all over the field, playing short, second and third mainly, but also being able to play in the outfield. Wherever they put me, I'm very versatile in that way. And whatever need arises, whatever is needed, I can fill." Going to an organization that stresses defense first does make it a potential fit for Nix. "I take a lot of pride in my defense and that aspect of my game and I feel like I bring a lot of value in that department," Nix said. "That's important. It's a good fit for me." Nix wanted to play for a winning organization and he's noticed the turnaround in Baltimore over the past three seasons. He's been on the playoff roster of the Yankees in 2012 and the Royals in 2014. "Absolutely," he said. "I remember looking back to 2012 when I was in New York and coming down the stretch that season in September, this team was really playing good and we were fighting with them down the stretch and then in the playoffs that year. I could really see it turn that year. That was the first year for me playing and seeing this team win and seeing Baltimore come alive, and ever since then it's been that way. "Yeah, I've definitely seen it, and I know for a team to be playing like that, they've got to have a lot of good things going on in the clubhouse. "For the team to be winning over the course of the last few years like they've been doing and just seeing how the team plays as a group, as a whole, it's apparent that there's a lot of good things going on here." Outfielder David Lough is happy to be healthy this spring after dealing with concussion symptoms last year, his first with the Orioles, and getting off to brutally slow start to the regular season. Lough batted .159 in his first 38 games (98 plate appearances), but he hit .337 after June 1. "Obviously, everyone knows what I did last spring with the concussion-like symptoms that kind of went through the season for me," he said. "Kind of had a rough start. I had a good second half. Felt good at the plate. I told Dan (Duquette) the other day, it's the guy that they traded for and hopefully he's here to stay. "I think it was more of a mental thing. It was with me. I kind of felt it a little bit. And with baseball, you've got to have a clear mind a little bit. If it's stuck in your mind, it's just going to be worse and that's how it was for the first half of the season. And after that, I was like you know what? I've just got to get let it go, play baseball. And I ended up playing a lot better." He certainly did over the second half. "I felt good," Lough said. "I was on a roll and I was doing some good things for the ballclub. I felt like that was the old me swing-wise and having my mental approach going up to the plate. It's just trying to bring that into spring training and put those first 100 at-bats from last year aside and have a good spring." Lough knew the Orioles were looking for an outfielder during the winter, but he didn't take it personally. "It happens every single year," he said. "There's competition. But we're always together and I've met (Travis) Snider already. Great guy. (Chris) Parmalee, great guy. We've already hung out and talked and stuff. It is competition, but we're athletes and we embrace it." Lough could get the chance to play more this season with Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz leaving as free agents. "I hope so, that Buck (Showalter) looks at the whole playing field here and sees what we've got and feels that I'm capable of doing a lot of things to help this ballclub, whether it's leading off for the team or doing something in a starting role," Lough said. "I've done some good things, especially yearly on defense that I feel like I always have. Offensively, people go through slumps. One hundred at-bats is nothing in a full season. I look at those 100 at-bats as a way of getting through it and pushing on and playing this game the right way and showing these fans a little bit more this year."