SARASOTA, Fla. -- Orioles reliever Brad Brach joined the MLB.com weekly podcast to discuss the bullpen, his success with Baltimore and the interesting career trajectory of his wife, aspiring country music singer, Jenae.
Brach, who turns 30 next month, said he was excited that the O's were able to bring back free agents Chris Davis, Matt Wieters and Darren O'Day, and the reliever noted that this spring's clubhouse has a different feel.
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"Last year it just kind of seemed like there was some uncertainty hanging over the team's head the whole time. I think guys were kind of concerned about where they might be the next year, or come Trade Deadline if not winning where they might be," Brach said. "Everybody seems to be a little bit more thinking about this year, as opposed to thinking about what might happen in the big picture. So, I think it's awesome that we were able to bring everybody back."
Entering his third season with Baltimore, Brach is coming off his best season and has become a reliable piece in the bullpen. Brach pitched to a 2.72 ERA in 62 games last year and credits pitching coach Dave Wallace and bullpen coach Dom Chiti with helping him make some mechanical adjustments and giving him confidence.
"They've told me I belong here," Brach said. "And that's one of the things as a middle reliever coming up, it's kind of tough, you are sent up and down, not necessarily based on performance, but just on needs of the team. After I was out of options last year, they were like, 'This is the year, you need to make some strides.' And they kind of challenged me. And I love a challenge, so I accepted it and it was great."