Reimold: "I just want to prove them right for bringing me back"

Nolan Reimold is planning to arrive in Sarasota next week for the start of spring training, well ahead of the Orioles' report date for position players. A minor league deal brought him back to the organization, and he's not wasting any time getting to work. "Obviously, I'm very happy to be back," Reimold said. "I never wanted to leave in the first place. But coming back to an organization like Baltimore that is and has become, doing great things, it's good to be back. And I want to be a part of it, hopefully." Reimold, 31, understands the challenges that come with a minor league deal and the outfielders who stand in his way. He understands that the industry is filled with doubters who point to his injury history, including a corrective procedure in 2013 to fuse two vertebrae in his neck. "I know that coming in I need to establish myself again and prove that I can play and play consistently and stay on the field, and that's what I've been working toward all offseason. And just be ready to get out there and show that I can still do it," said Reimold, who left the Orioles last summer via a waiver claim by the Blue Jays. "I'm sure everybody, or a lot of people who have been following it, are getting tired of hearing how I feel. I just want to be ready to go out and leave it on the field and just get to playing and proving myself again and show that I can still go out there and do it." He may have to start out at Triple-A Norfolk, but the Orioles will give him every chance to break camp with the team. Reimold never found a major league offer this winter, but he had multiple teams willing to give him a minor league deal with a spring invite. The Indians were aggressive to the end, with manager Terry Francona getting involved in negotiations, but Reimold sought the comfort zone that the Orioles provided since taking him in the second round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft. "For me, it plays a big part of it," Reimold said. "This was the only organization that I had known until last year. I felt when (the Blue Jays) picked me up that I was kind of just biding my time until I could get back to the Orioles, in a way. I understand what happened last year and the situation and being DFA'd. I totally understand, but I know that the people in the organization believe in me and wanted me and that's a big deal to me. I just want to prove them right for bringing me back. "I know I won't be handed anything. I need to prove myself all over again and start from scratch in a way. The people in the organization have seen what I'm doing and how I'm looking to get back up and play at a high level again." Reimold also had to consider what's best for his growing family. A fourth daughter is on the way, and playing in Toronto and Arizona last summer took a toll. A desire to stay on the East Coast eliminated the Athletics from consideration after they checked in on him a few weeks ago. "I think whatever I decided, my family would have been behind me, but there's a comfort level, just knowing the city, spring training, knowing everything that's going on," he said. "It makes things easier for you."