McLouth enjoyed his stint with the Orioles

BALTIMORE -- Nationals outfielder Nate McLouth admitted it was a little odd to be in the visitors' clubhouse at Camden Yards on Wednesday afternoon.

McLouth, who spent 1 1/2 years with Baltimore, signed with Washington this winter for $10.75 million over two years (with a $6.5 million club option for 2016), and the four-game Beltways Series has provided a chance for McLouth to see some old friends.

"The baseball part is not the hard part," said McLouth, a fan favorite who should get a favorable reaction on Wednesday. "The hard part is the relationships and the friends you make. That was, I don't really like the guys here that much. No, I'm kidding. But you form friendships and you feel comfortable and that was the hardest part. I can't think of one thing I didn't like about playing here [in Baltimore]."

McLouth said he never got the sense that the Orioles -- despite publicly saying so -- wanted to bring him back, and he doesn't harbor any ill will about it.

"It didn't hurt my feelings or anything," McLouth said. "That's just how it works. I didn't feel at any point like it was going to work out, unfortunately, and you just deal with it. It's not like it's personal. It's not personal. It's how it works."

McLouth, who hit .261/.333/.409 in 201 games with the Orioles, has had to adjust to not having an everyday role with the Nats and it's been difficult. He's batting .194/.308/.266 in 65 games.

And, like many of his former Orioles teammates, McLouth is rooting for a Nationals-Orioles World Series.

"[It would be] awesome," McLouth said. "I think if for no other reason than the travel. It's possible. It's very possible."