Quick Q&A with Zach Eflin

Zach Eflin picked up a baseball earlier than usual this offseason, an impressive feat for a man with his hands full.

Eflin is having a mostly typical winter professionally back at home in Orlando, even in temperatures that dipped into the 30s. The rest of it is more of an adventure, controlled chaos that amuses and fulfills him.

“Everything else life-related, there is no normalcy or anything, just from having three (children) under 3 ½ at this point and an eight-month pregnant wife,” Eflin said yesterday in a phone conversation. “Things are very reactionary nowadays.”

The Orioles will get a full season from Eflin after he made nine starts in 2024 following a deadline trade that sent minor leaguers Jackson Baumeister, Mac Horvath and Matthew Etzel to the Rays. He posted a 2.60 ERA and 1.120 WHIP and allowed one run in four innings in Game 2 of the Wild Card round against the Royals before receiving a quick hook.

The rotation currently is aligned to make Eflin, 30, the favorite to start on Opening Day in Toronto, with Grayson Rodriguez providing the main competition. Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton signed one-year deals, and Dean Kremer returns after registering a 3.82 ERA in 12 second-half starts.

What did you get out of your time with the Orioles?

“I got a lot of really close friendships. I got a lot of really important things about pitching that I learned that I was able to kind of mold with my past experiences with Philly and Tampa. Really just enjoyed my time so much being around a group of young guys that just love winning and love competing. It’s kind of crazy to say I’m one of the older guys now, but just to be able to play around that competitiveness and that fire is so much fun to show up to every day.”

How important is that clubhouse chemistry?

“Single most important thing, I wouldn’t just say in baseball, but in all of sports. In order to achieve a collective calmness, a collective competitiveness that you set the tone with each and every single night, it takes trust of your teammates. It takes that closeness and the bond to take that on the field to be able to trust that guy next to you and know if I miss a pitch and give up a homer, I know that regardless of how I performed, the guys aren’t going to change the way they play behind me. And that feeling goes so far.”

Are there specific things you’re looking to improve on this season?

“I think every single area of my game honestly, I try to look at it in the offseason, have conversations with the pitching guys and really figure out what the game plan is moving forward. Whether that be sequencing or adjusting a grip or arm slot. Those are all conversations that we have ongoing in the offseason, and try to get that foundation and that structure to take into spring training.”

Have you thought about the possibility of being the Opening Day starter with Corbin Burnes gone? You did it with the Rays last year.

“No, I haven’t really thought about it at all, honestly. It’s not necessarily what’s on my mind. And I said this before, I don’t really believe in a one through five numbers system that people kind of label starting pitchers as. I think we have five starting pitchers and any one of them can do magical things on any given fifth day. So I haven’t really paid too much attention.”

How do you feel about this rotation now?

“I feel like it’s extremely strong. There’s a lot of depth that we have. I’m excited to be around (Sugano). I’m excited to watch him because I’ve heard that he doesn’t like walking people, either, so I feel like we’re going to get along pretty well in that area. And then, being around Charlie again. I actually debuted for Charlie (in 2016) when I was in Philly. He had gotten hurt, and I came up with him and was able to spend a full spring training with him before he got hurt. Just obviously things you hear around the league, he’s one of a kind. He’s a great teammate, a great mentor, and I think he’s gonna be huge for the guys in the clubhouse.

“And then, obviously bringing back the guys we have in Dean, Cade (Povich), Grayson, Albert (Suárez), there’s depth everywhere, and nowadays in baseball you can’t have enough depth, so it’s gonna be a lot of fun to go to war with those guys.”

What could a full and healthy season from Grayson mean to the club?

“He’s an unbelievable pitcher. I think that’s really what you hope for in any starting pitcher is healthy, right? Quantity. But he’s got the unique ability to blend the quality with quantity, and once he figures out how to stay on the field every fifth day, honestly, the sky’s the limit for him. He has all the tools it takes. He’s got the talent, whether it be in his head, in his heart, on the field, to truly be one of the best in the league and it’s going to be a lot of fun watching him go to work.”

Do you marvel at what Charlie has done? He’s 41 and hasn’t missed a beat.

“Yeah, he’s almost like the ageless wonder. It seems like the last half of his career is when he truly started to throw harder, his stuff got sharper. It’s going to be a lot of fun to pick his brain, especially for the younger guys to talk to him about how he’s been able to do it for so long, and the will and competitiveness to be able to do that. But also, to stay on the field and stay healthy at 40, 41 years old is truly incredible, and stuff that I can learn, as well.”

I know that you didn’t get a chance to pitch with them, but how big of a lift will it be to have Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells come back in the second half after their elbow surgeries? It’s like deadline acquisitions without giving up anything.

“No doubt. I didn’t even mention those guys because I haven’t even played with them yet. And these are two guys who can completely transform a rotation, so I’m excited to get those guys back and healthy and be around them here in a couple weeks down in Sarasota. It looks like the pitching room is just oozing with talent, as well as the hitting group. We’re really looking forward to getting back and being around each other and really starting to push each other to have a great season.”

Note: I was told last night that former Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz passed away earlier this week. He was 37.

The Orioles made Matusz the fourth-overall pick in the 2008 draft out of the University of San Diego and he debuted the following year with eight starts. He spent eight seasons in the majors, with his final appearance a start with the Cubs in 2016. It was his only game, but he received a World Series ring.

Matusz finished his career with a 4.92 ERA in 280 games. The Orioles turned him into a lefty specialist out of the bullpen and he posted ERAs of 3.53, 3.48 and 2.94 in a combined 186 games from 2013-15.

Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was 4-for-29 against Matusz with no home runs and 13 strikeouts. Orioles' fans delighted in it.

Matusz was the Orioles ambassador for the Casey Cares Foundation, a non-profit organization that offers programs to families of critically ill children. He was on the advisory board and returned to Baltimore after he left the Orioles for the annual 5K run/walk at Camden Yards.

The Orioles issued a statement that read:

"Our hearts are heavy tonight as we mourn the passing of former Oriole Brian Matusz. A staple of our clubhouse from 2009-2016, Brian was beloved throughout Birdland, and his passion for baseball and our community was unmatched. He dedicated his time to connecting with any fan he could, was a cherished teammate, and always had a smile on his face. Brian's family and loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time."

I'll always lump Matusz with young pitchers Zack Britton, Jake Arrieta and Chris Tillman. They had a special bond.

Matusz started a tradition with me by dumping a bucket of ice water over my head after the Orioles won the Wild Card game in Texas in 2012. He spotted me on the field in 2014 on the night that the Orioles clinched the division title, said, "you know we have to do this," and poured an entire beer on me. I still have the photo in my phone.

RIP Brian. A good guy gone much too soon.