Rickard hopes to repeat as part of 25-man roster

Whether former Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard breaks camp with the Orioles this spring depends on a variety of factors. Not all of them are in his control.

Rickard's performance will be weighed and he's hoping it's in the best shape of his life. (See what I did there?)

The Orioles always keep a Rule 5 pick on the roster, which could put Rickard in direct competition with Aneury Tavarez. However, Rickard bats from the right side and is needed to platoon with Hyun Soo Kim or Seth Smith, though Mark Trumbo's return gives manager Buck Showalter another option - one that's less skilled defensively.

Executive vice president Dan Duquette wants another outfielder with speed and a good glove reputation, further crowding the roster and putting Rickard's spot in jeopardy. And right-handed hitting Trey Mancini could take up a seat on the bench if the Orioles aren't determined to get him regular at-bats. So far, they've shown no concerns about stunting his development if he isn't playing every day at Triple-A Norfolk.

"I'm expecting to get all these questions about it," Rickard said Thursday night on the "Hot Stove Show" on 105.7 The Fan. "I got here just by focusing on me and taking care of what I need to do to help the team win and that's kind of been my mindset right now. Whoever we can bring in to make the team better and hopefully make a longer run in the playoffs this year, I'm all for."

Rickard batted .313/.367/.494 against left-handers last year, going 26-for-83 with six doubles and three home runs. He'd be a nice counter to Smith, a career .202 hitter against left-handers, or Kim, if the Orioles decide again that he should be restricted to right-handed pitching.

(I'll say again that this is the ideal time to find out whether Kim can stay in the lineup.)

"Whatever it takes to help the team win, I'm all for it," Rickard said. "I know Buck (Showalter) likes to pick his battles and put players in different positions. It's kind of a chess match with him, so I've always got to be ready."

It's again important to note that Rickard no longer holds Rule 5 status and can be optioned to the minors. He stayed in the majors for the required amount of days despite the thumb injury that ended his season on July 20 at Yankee Stadium.

"I thought it was a full year, but it turns out it's only 90 days during the big league season," he said. "Buck came up to me that day and said, 'Hey, you're officially ours. Congratulations.' And that was pretty much it. That's how I learned about it.

"Just a couple months prior to the Rule 5 draft, I didn't even know it existed, so it was kind of a shock to me, but it turned out to be a blessing."

The greatest adjustment was adapting to major league ballparks, exactly what Showalter anticipated. Rickard brought a solid defensive reputation to Baltimore, but he occasionally took poor routes to the ball and had to outrun his mistakes.

"That was probably one of the biggest ones in the outfield that I'm not used to," he said. "The preseason game in Philadelphia was the first time I saw a third deck and under the lights high. Of course, the very first fly ball of the game comes right to me and luckily I got it, but it was definitely something you don't think about until you get in a game and the ball comes your way."

The ability to play center field could give Rickard an edge, depending on Duquette's next move.

"It's definitely something that will keep you around a little longer," Rickard said, "just adding some versatility to your game and showing people that you can do things and that you're confident playing all three outfield positions. Whatever the game calls for."

The Orioles ranked last in the majors with 19 stolen bases and Rickard led them with four, his last coming on June 16 in Boston. He had the green light, but rarely used it.

"Stealing bases has always been a big part of my game in the minors," said Rickard, who swiped 30 at Single-A Bowling Green in 2013 and was a combined 23-for-29 at three levels in 2015.

"Maybe a little tense, a little nervous (last year) kind of played a role, but at the same time, if you're on first base with this team, you're in scoring position. The worst thing I can do with (Manny) Machado or (Adam) Jones at the plate is get thrown out, so I've really got to pick my situations carefully."

Rickard indicated again Thursday night that his thumb is healed and he won't have any restrictions in spring training. The initial diagnosis left room for optimism that he'd return in September, but lingering discomfort when swinging a bat kept him on the disabled list and hinted that surgery might be necessary.

He never underwent a procedure, instead opting for rest and eventual rehab with minor league medical coordinator Dave Walker in Sarasota. Instead of circling the bases, he'd walk around St. Armands Circle and try to distract himself from the loneliness that comes with being isolated at the spring training complex.

"What I was told from looking at the X-rays and from doctors was that they were almost positive that I was going to make a full recovery sooner rather than later and it just didn't work out," Rickard said. "It turned out to be a bigger tear than they expected."

There's likely to be some apprehension at first as Rickard engages in full baseball activities. The injury isn't to his throwing hand, but it forced him to be shut down in Sarasota while attempting to take live batting practice.

"I'll probably be a little timid at first, that first fastball inside, but I think I'll get over it as the confidence gets building," he said.

Rickard, 25, is back in town for FanFest after working out in Los Angeles with vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson.

"He's a busy guy, so we do get to sleep in a little bit, but they start around noon or 1 o'clock and they go throughout the day," Rickard said. "We lift weights, take a couple hours break, eat and you run some sprints later on. We work out at UCLA and we did some baseball work. They have cages and a field there. Just hang out there until about 5 or 6 and call it a day."

Rickard also played basketball, further testing the condition of his thumb, but the biggest challenge was beating the 53-year-old Anderson in sprints.

"We timed each other and I was in first place," Rickard said, smiling. "He was right behind me the whole time, so it was closer than I thought it would be. He's impressive."

Rickard will be full-go in camp, hopefully without the drama that came from beating out Kim for the left field job and all of the awkward interviews with the Korean media back in Baltimore. Rickard and Kim sat next to each other in the clubhouse, friends who were cast as competitors.

The relationship "was great," Rickard insisted.

"He's a personality. Once he gets out of his shell, he's fun to talk to. We actually have a great relationship. He's a very fun guy. He's actually taken me to a couple Korean places around town to eat. He's a guy I text pretty frequently."

With two more Rule 5 picks headed to spring training, including outfielder Anthony Santander, Rickard is available to offer advice on how to fit in and make the most of their opportunity. Just as the others did for him last year.

"Just try not to do too much," he said. "They liked you for a reason and you don't have to go out there and try to be something you're not. Just stay within yourself."

And try to stay in the majors for at least 90 days.

Shameless plug alert: I'll be handling my usual blogging duties today at FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center, so check back often, but I'll also host three fan forums and participate in the media forum.

A little of me goes a long way. Today, you get a lot of me.