Guys getting second chances have panned out well for resurgent O's

In two of the last three seasons, the Orioles have made a trip to the postseason, thanks in part to a players, including Nate McLouth, Miguel Gonzalez and Steve Pearce, coming to Baltimore looking for a second chance to establish their careers.

This season, the Orioles hope to win again following similar resurging story lines. Three players - Ubaldo Jimenez, Everth Cabrera and Travis Snider - who have come to Baltimore to re-establish themselves are likely to play key roles as the Orioles take aim at winning their second consecutive title in the American League East.

The 31-year-old Jimenez, a pitcher defined by wildness and inconsistency, has been looking for a baseball home since starting his career with Colorado in 2006. He won 19 games with a 2.88 ERA for the Rockies in 2010, but the Rockies traded to him to Cleveland for prospects at the 2011 trade deadline.

Jimenez's three seasons in Cleveland were mostly frustrating, but he was one of the AL's top pitchers in the second half of 2013, posting a 1.82 ERA and helping the Indians make the postseason. Then, after he became a free agent, Jimenez signed a four-year, $50 million contract with the Orioles.

Last season, his first with the Orioles, wasn't pretty. He finished with a 4.81 ERA, led the AL in walks with 5.5 per nine innings, was demoted to the bullpen and left off the postseason roster. When spring training started, there was no guarantee of a rotation spot, despite the huge contract. In fact, he didn't know he was in the rotation until the first week of the season.

He was flawless in his first start last weekend, pitching seven shutout innings in the Orioles' 7-1 win vs. Toronto at Camden Yards. The success was satisfying because it built his confidence, he said.

"It felt great,'' Jimenez says. "Working really hard in the offseason and in spring training, everything's paying off.''

Jimenez pitched better in his final appearances last season September, so he was feeling good about himself, even though he couldn't do anything to help the Orioles advance to the World Series.

As he went into the offseason, Jimenez got encouragement from Orioles manager Buck Showalter and pitching coach Dave Wallace, who told him to keep working on his mechanics.

The extra work helped him put last season out of mind, but forgetting the misery of last season isn't automatic.

"It's not easy, but I've done it before,'' Jimenez says. "It's not the first time I've struggled.''

Jimenez has complicated mechanics with a lot of moving parts, but he also has an electric fastball. And, like most pitchers, he understands more about the importance of command and not just relying on heat with his fastball.

Snider has hit bumps in the road with two previous organizations. He was a first-round draft pick by Toronto in 2006 and made the Blue Jays roster when he was 20. Snider might be considered a late bloomer and could be this year's version of Pearce, given both have had their struggles trying to get established with Pittsburgh.

Snider, now 27, hit .248 in five seasons with the Blue Jays, who traded him to Pittsburgh for a minor league pitcher who never made the majors.

And, while Snider struggled with the Pirates, he did find himself in the second half of last season. He learned better plate discipline and stopped chasing pitches out of the zone, and he wound up hitting .288 in the second half, a 51-point increase over the first half.

Still, it wasn't enough.

The Pirates had prospect Gregory Polanco ready for right field, so in January, the Pirates traded Snider to the Orioles for two minor leaguers. Snider can play right or left and the Orioles like the power potential in his left-handed swing.

Cabrera, 28, a switch-hitter, is making the transition from All-Star shortstop with the San Diego Padres to a utility role with the Orioles. He took grounders at second base during spring training - the first time he's played that position since 2008, when he was in the minor leagues - and has filled in for the injured J.J. Hardy at shortstop to start the season.

Already, Cabrera feels at home in orange and black. He said Showalter, the coaching staff and teammates made him feel at home almost immediately. He's ready to do anything the Orioles need.

"It's already unbelievable,'' Cabrera says.

Cabrera was part of one of the best defensive infields in the National League when he was with the Padres. He led the league in steals with 44 in 2012. The next season, he hit .283 and made the NL All-Star team.

Then last season, his career took a step back. He had hamstring injuries and Major League Baseball suspended him for 50 games in connect with its Biogenesis investigation.

So, given the suspension and the losing in San Diego, Cabrera is thankful to find a team that will give him a clean slate. He needed a career restart. The Orioles obliged.

Cabrera watched the Orioles in the postseason last season, so he knows that they are a solid team with pitching and the expectations of winning. It's going to be a new experience for Cabrera.

"I've never been on a winning team,'' Cabrera says. "This is awesome.''

Especially if the Orioles win another division championship.