Riefenhauser happy to be closer to home with Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - Welcome to Day 2 of Orioles minicamp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex, where you'd find frost on the pumpkins if they were part of the décor.

The temperature is supposed to soar into the low 60s today as a group of pitchers throw bullpen sessions in front of manager Buck Showalter and his staff.

I'll provide injury updates later on pitcher Jeff Beliveau and catchers Jonah Heim and Chris O'Brien. Spoiler alert: They're all good.

O'Brien's father, Charlie, played 15 seasons in the majors, the last in 2000 with the Expos.

Left-hander C.J. Riefenhauser threw off flat ground yesterday in the bullpen area and later talked about the excitement of being traded closer to his New York home. The Orioles acquired him along with Mark Trumbo on Dec. 2 in the Steve Clevenger deal, less than a month after the Mariners acquired him from the Rays.

"This is my first time ever getting traded and I got traded twice in one offseason, so I don't know really how to look at it," he said, grinning. "I'm just grateful for the opportunity. Just going to go out there and compete and try to win a job."

Riefenhauser lives about 45 minutes outside of Manhattan, so Seattle wasn't an ideal landing spot.

"I'm excited. Closer to home for sure. A little bit closer to New York, where I'm from, than Seattle, so that's always nice," he said.

"I'm pretty familiar with this league, I guess you could say. Small sample size and all. I was really excited."

Riefenhauser, who turns 26 later this month, didn't expect to be traded again so soon after the Mariners got him.

"I found out a little bit earlier than I guess it came out or whatever, but I was surprised, just being traded three weeks before that," he said. "But other than that it was all good.

"I didn't have to go out there (to Seattle), which was good. I was in Venezuela when I found out I got traded to Seattle, and then they sent me home. I was home training and got a call on my way back from working out. 'Hey, you got traded to Baltimore.' I was like, 'Oh, cool. Closer to home.' "

The Orioles have six left-handed relievers on their 40-man roster and are interested in free agent Antonio Bastardo. Riefenhauser will be challenged to break camp with the club, but he's in the mix.

He's already in a comfort zone.

"It's awesome here," said Riefenhauser, who's posted a 6.30 ERA in 24 relief appearances with the Rays over the past two summers. "All the guys are great. They're really, really nice guys. The staff, the training staff, everybody. I introduced myself to everybody and they were all great. Anything I need."

In the latest chapter of "It's A Small Baseball World," Riefenhauser actually gets to meet his future manager six years ago. Riefenhauser attended Chipola College in Marianna, Fla., where Showalter used to play.

"He actually came down in 2010 and gave a little speech to us, which was awesome," Riefenhauser said. "And now playing here and watching him watching flat grounds and just watching us do our everyday things is awesome. I'm looking forward to it."

Note: The Orioles signed right-hander Paul Demny to a minor league deal, according to Baseball America's transactions page.

Demny, 26, was in the Nationals organization since 2008 as a sixth round draft pick. He went 2-5 with a 1.88 ERA in 34 relief appearances with Double-A Harrisburg and posted a 3.97 ERA in 10 relief appearances at Triple-A Syracuse.

The second day of Orioles minicamp dawns at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla.