Brandon Bailey's to-do list: Get to know teammates, make O's roster

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles right-hander Brandon Bailey admits he has spent his first few days of spring training with his new team getting to know all of his teammates' names. That is understandable, with so many players new to him. But he's slowly starting to settle in at O's spring training and looking forward to the best opportunity of his young career.

He wasn't drafted by the Houston Astros, but an Astros front office that included Mike Elias and Sig Mejdal traded for him not long after winning the 2017 World Series. And he's pretty sure those connections are at least one reason why he's here now, taken by the Orioles in last December's Rule 5 draft.

The Houston connections helped lead him to Baltimore.

"Absolutely," Bailey said Friday in the Orioles clubhouse. "But just having a few brief interactions with Sig. I never met Mike during my time in Houston. But just having that connection, I feel like the familiarity with the player is always helpful, absolutely. You get to know a guy, how they work and kind of what makes them tick. How they can be successful. And then obviously my relationship with (Orioles director of pitching) Chris Holt. He was my minor league pitching coordinator my first full season with Houston. He's been a huge part of my development. Those three guys understanding how I work and operate and how I go about business. It definitely helped for sure."

The Orioles made Bailey the second overall selection in the Rule 5 draft after he posted a 4-5 record and 3.20 ERA in 22 games (17 starts) last season at Double-A Corpus Christi. In the 17 starts, he posted a 2.59 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and .191 average against in 76 1/3 innings.

In this entry, Holt talked about Bailey.

"There's a lot to like about his four-seam fastball. He spins it well, and the velocity range (91 to 94 mph, touching 96) plays just fine," said Holt. "The changeup is really, really effective versus both bat sides. He's refining the slider. Working for a swing-and-miss slider, something he can consistently rely on has been a part of his work. I think he would tell you the same thing. Overall, it's a solid pitch as is. I think getting the consistency is more what it's about instead of trying to get a better one. And in terms of the curveball, I think he's starting to reopen the usage of that. He's got a really solid curveball."

Rule 5 draft day was pretty exciting in Bailey's world.

"Extremely," he said. "Obviously, in November, when Houston didn't protect me (on the 40-man roster), it was disappointing. The next few weeks, my agent told me to stay positive, maybe something would happen. Up until the day of the draft, I had no idea I was even remotely in the conversation to be picked by any team, let alone Baltimore.

"When it happened, I was just like, in shock. Called my parents, they were crying. Called my girlfriend, she was crying. Everybody's crying. It is just a really exciting opportunity to finally have a chance to make a big league roster and compete at the highest level. It is what I've wanted to do since I was 2. It's a really exciting time and I'm looking forward to seizing this opportunity."

Bailey was a sixth-round pick by the Oakland Athletics in 2016 out of Gonzaga. After two seasons there, where he advanced to high-A ball, he was dealt to Houston on Nov. 20, 2017 for outfielder Ramón Laureano.

The fact Elias and Mejdal were part of a team that acquired him before gives him confidence.

"Yeah, absolutely," said Bailey, who is 16-16 with a career 3.07 ERA in 349 minor league innings. "It feels good just to know that they liked my body of work. Kind of what I was doing in Houston in terms of my development and trying to get better. Learn how to get big league hitters out. I think they felt like I was trending in the right direction. It feels good and means I'm doing something right. I just want to continue to develop."

Bailey has done his homework on the Rule 5 draft. He can cite some numbers for this draft for 2019.

"I think last year two out of the 14 guys that were picked - one of them being Richie (Martin of the Orioles) - stuck with the big league roster for the full season," Bailey said. "So I understand the situation and how it is really difficult and unique."

Since he cannot be optioned out as a Rule 5 pick, Bailey is in a unique spot in this camp, as is right-hander Michael Rucker, an O's Rule 5 pick from the Cubs. They've got a great opportunity.

"I understand that there is a ton of competition here," said Bailey. "A lot of guys vying for a few spots in the rotation and a few spots in the bullpen. I understand that, yes, there is a Rule 5 thing, and, yes, I have to be on the roster for the Orioles to keep me. But I'm going into it with the mindset that there are no guarantees. I'm going to have to prove and earn my spot on this team. I feel like that is also how I will earn respect in this lockerroom. Keep my head down, go about my business and have tunnel vision focus and just work on how I will get people out and stay consistent.

"Talking to Richie about his experience, he said, 'Just take it one day at a time. Just do what you can to get better.' And as long as you are focused on the right things which is trying to get better as an individual, but also helping the team win once we get into competition, that is all you can do. If it doesn't work out, I'm still playing ball. Just have to go back to Houston. Regardless it is all about competing and trying to perform at your very best."

It starts today: The Orioles play the first of 34 spring training games, counting the March 24 game at the Naval Academy, today at 1:05 p.m. They face the defending National League East champion Atlanta Braves on the road in North Port, Fla. Right-hander Chandler Shepherd starts for the Orioles and right-hander Félix Hernández - a Braves minor league signing - gets the start for Atlanta. I'll have the call of today's game on Orioles.com and MLB beginning at 1:00.