Logan Verrett is out to buck the Rule 5 odds, plus over/under stats

If you are a young player and you get selected in the Rule 5 draft, there are worse teams to be selected by than the Orioles.

It didn't take long for 24-year-old right-hander Logan Verrett to realize that after the Orioles selected him with the 13th of 14 picks made in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft.

"I was ecstatic to find out their history of keeping Rule 5 picks," Verrett said Saturday at FanFest. "After I found that out, I realized I couldn't have been with a better organization, going through the Rule 5."

Verrett knows both Ryan Flaherty, selected in 2011, and T.J. McFarland, drafted in 2012, made it through an entire season on the Orioles roster and remain in the organization. Last year, the Orioles took infielder Michael Almanzar from Boston, sent him back to the Red Sox, reacquired him in a trade and later signed him to a minor league deal.

Verrett talked about how he felt the day of the Rule 5 draft.

"It was interesting," he said. "I woke up and kind of went about my day pretty normal. Got a call from my wife telling me I had been picked by the Orioles. That was a little different.

"About an hour later, I got a call from Dan (Duquette). Just talking with him got me really excited about coming into spring training, competing for a job and helping the Orioles get back to the playoffs."

The Orioles selected Verrett from the Mets organization. New York drafted him out of Baylor in the third round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft. He pitched three seasons in the Mets organization, logging 308 innings the last two years at Double-A and Triple-A.

He went 11-5 with a 4.33 ERA in 28 starts with Triple-A Las Vegas in 2014. In his Mets career, he's 28-13 with a 3.89 ERA and 3.5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

"I like to mix and change speeds," Verrett said. "I like to change eye levels and move the ball in and out. Really keep the hitter guessing. It is a bit of a chess game out there, especially if you don't have a fastball that is bumping up to 99. I like to move the ball, try to keep hitters off-balance and let them get themselves out.

"I am right around 90-92 (with my velocity). Pretty average for a right-hander. It comes to how you set up a hitter and your secondary stuff. I know how to get outs and win games."

Duquette said this about Verrett the day of the Rule 5 draft: "Outstanding control and a very good slider. He's an accomplished pitcher. He's won at Baylor, at Double-A and Triple-A, and he should be ready to compete for a major league job. Where he ends up in the big leagues, who knows? But he's got excellent control and a really good slider that can get out right- and left-handed hitters."

Verrett has shown excellent control in his pro career, walking just 78 batters over 411 1/3 innings. That is just 1.7 walks per nine innings.

He also knows spring training for him will be about more than just getting his work in. He will need to show something soon, perhaps get solid results and provide the Orioles with a reason to keep him.

"I have to come in, compete for a job and win a job," he said. "There are a lot of good guys in the starting rotation and bullpen that are phenomenal pitchers. My work is cut out for me. But that is what makes it fun, competing against the best. Ultimately that makes everyone better."

Not only does Verrett have to try and make a pitching staff that is pretty set right now, but he is one of two Rule 5 pitchers that will be at spring training. There is also 22-year-old Jason Garcia, a hard-throwing right-hander who has yet to pitch above Single-A ball.

Baseball America has ranked both Rule 5 picks among the Orioles' top 30 prospects for the Prospect Handbook with Garcia at No. 17 and Verrett at No. 24.

For now, the former Mets pitcher is excited to be an Oriole. But even he knows that in a few months he may not be.

"It is an odd feeling. Lot of fun being here at FanFest and interacting with the fans, but it is a weird feeling knowing that there is a possibility you are no longer with this organization come April," Verrett said. "I'll do all I can to make sure I stick. Just excited to show them what I can do."

Arbitration math: After reaching agreement with Zach Britton on a 2015 contract last night, the Orioles have just one arbitration-eligible player remaining - outfielder Alejandro De Aza. The club exchanged figures with De Aza, who is seeking $5.65 million while the O's are offering $5 million.

If you do the math and add up the 10 arbitration-eligible players that have agreed to terms and project De Aza at the midpoint, those 11 players cost the Orioles $35.96 million last year and will cost $57.82 million for 2015.

The over/under game: Will these players go over or under these stats in 2015?

* Chris Davis: 33 homers
* Manny Machado: 35 doubles
* Chris Tillman: 3.20 ERA
* Steve Pearce: 24 homers
* Adam Jones: .320 OBP