Suárez maintains same mindset as another spring training approaches

Let Albert Suárez be clear about this again. Practice for the next time that he’s asked.

Would he rather start or relieve? Relieve or start?

Does it matter to him?

“Not really,” Suárez replied at Friday night’s Birdland Caravan stop at PBR Baltimore. “Like last year, it didn’t matter, either. I was just ready for anytime. So this year will be the same mentality.”

Bets could be won by challenging fans to name the Oriole who made the second-most starts last season behind Corbin Burnes’ 32. Súarez tied with Dean Kremer at 24, and his 32 appearances tied Burnes for first among pitchers who didn’t work exclusively in relief.

Suárez’s 133 2/3 innings ranked second behind Burnes’ 194 1/3. This is what happens when you avoid the injured list and maintain a level of success that builds trust with the manager.

What it won’t do is leave a spot open for Suárez. He wouldn’t expect it. He’s out of options and deserving of a job, but taking it for granted isn’t how he’s wired.

Years spent pitching in Japan and Korea can leave your sense of entitlement hanging by a thread.

“It’s like the year before,” he said. “The goal is try to make the team. That’s my mentality. This offseason I’ve been working on a lot of stuff like mobility and things like that with the strength and conditioning guys. I think I’ll be prepared.”

Prepared for anything.

“It might be kind of the same situation as last year, where I can be in the bullpen, I can be in the starting rotation,” he said. “It all depends where they need me.”

The possibility still exists that another starter arrives before spring training. Suárez already appears to be on the outside. The odds put him behind Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Charlie Morton, Dean Kremer and Tomoyuki Sugano. The camp competition also should include Trevor Rogers, Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott. But Suárez could land a long relief/swingman role that provides more starts if injuries strike again, the weather creates a doubleheader or additional rest is prescribed.

Morton and Sugano were signed as free agents, the latter from Nippon Professional Baseball. Andrew Kittredge arrived to aid the bullpen, and Matt Bowman returned on a minor league deal. It would be understandable if Suárez wondered how each move might impact him.

Apparently, that’s also not the case.

It’s really hard to rattle this guy – on the mound, at home or at a Caravan.

“I mean, not too much because I don’t control that,” he said. “I only control what I can do and that’s what I focus on.”

The rotation won’t include a left-hander unless Povich or Rogers makes it. Povich registered a 5.20 ERA in 16 starts as a rookie but had a 2.60 ERA and .162 opponents average in five September outings.

Povich said he’s taking spring training as “an opportunity” after speaking with pitching coach Drew French and assistant Mitch Plassmeyer during the winter.

“There was definitely some stuff we looked at, some stuff I personally looked at,” he said. “We’ve been in communication as far as some adjustments to make and I think we had a good dialogue over what worked. I think really the biggest thing was just kind of carrying over that last month of the season and looking at that and continue to build on it.”

McDermott made his only major league appearance in a July 24 start in Miami and accumulated 21 starts last summer with Triple-A Norfolk. He said the idea of moving to the bullpen hasn’t been discussed with him.

“They haven’t talked to me about it but for me, I’ll throw wherever needed,” he said. “I’ll play first base if they need me to. I know they don’t, but I’ll do whatever’s needed. I’m just here to try to help the team win.”