Among the early arrivals in Sarasota for spring training is a former Orioles pitcher who came back to the organization for the latest change in his professional life.
Thomas Eshelman has found that it’s in much better shape.
Eshelman appeared in 31 games between 2019-21, including 14 starts, as the Orioles began a rebuild period that eventually led to back-to-back playoff appearances after he was gone. They lost 108 games in his first major league season, went through a pandemic in 2020 and lost 110 in 2021.
Mike Elias was the Astros’ scouting director when they drafted Eshelman in the second round in 2015 out of Cal State Fullerton. Elias traded for him in 2019, sending international bonus slot money to the Phillies, and hired him during the offseason as upper level pitching coordinator.
During a phone interview this week, Eshelman mentioned how impressed he is with the new player development complex at the team’s spring training home.
“It’s incredible. You’re gonna love it when you get down here. It’s huge,” Eshelman said.
“I didn’t know that they were building this. I didn’t see anything on it. And then these guys were like, ‘Oh, just wait until you see the performance center.’ And I said, ‘What performance center?’ I walked over here and I was like, ‘Oh man.’
"When you go on the plane, make sure you sit on the left side when you’re landing. You’ll be able to see it from the air. It’s massive. It’ll be fun to get in there.”
Eshelman, 31, never pitched again in the majors after leaving the Orioles. He spent 2022 in the Padres’ system at Double-A and Triple-A, was released, and worked the past three seasons as a pitching coach in their farm system.
Here’s more from our conversation:
When did you know that you wanted to stay in baseball past your playing days?
“I think in my last year, I signed a free agent deal, kind of bounced around and got to be in a lower level and be with some guys who were kind of on their way up. And after being at that level, it was cool for me to share some knowledge with the guys.
“I’ve always loved being around the game, whether it’s in the clubhouse, in the dugout, on the mound. I think this just kind of led to me wanting to do that and just pass my knowledge on to the next guys who are up. It’s been something that’s been really fun so far and it’s cool to see guys have success.”
What was it like going from pitching to being a young coach in the Padres’ system?
“It was a grind. They don’t take things lightly over there. Obviously, they’re putting money into their players in their system and they demanded a lot out of us on the coaching side, as well. It was kind of a, I wouldn’t say a stressful transition, but definitely like no rest for the weary. Getting to know the process of how to take guys through routines, how to look at a delivery in a different way, and everything like that.
“It was a good spot to start learning and I’ve taken what I’ve learned and it’s been nice. A nice transition.”
Did you learn something about yourself while going through it?
“What I should have done? Yeah. You look at the game in a different manner and it’s cool to see the different ways in which you can communicate toward a player what not to have them think about when they’re out there and what they can do to improve between each outing to be able to have their stuff that they need to work on to translate toward the game.
“Sometimes you don’t have to say anything. So it’s just the nature of understanding your athlete and how well you can make them improve from outing to outing.”
How did this opportunity with the Orioles come about?
“I just got a call from player development to interview me for this role and I said, ‘Yeah, for sure.’ So I got on the phone with (director of pitching) Forrest Herrmann after that and went through the interview process, and then eventually got the job.”
Were you surprised that they reached out to you?
“Yeah. It was more like an if any team called kind of situation. But obviously me being with the O’s at one point, it’s a little bit more close to home with just being here. So it was exciting. I told my wife (Nicholle) about it and we both had a chuckle.
“It’s been great. The personnel that they have here on the minor league side, obviously it’s a new staff on the big league side, so getting to know them, but they’ve done a tremendous job here obviously the last five years or so, and I can see why. These guys work their butts off.”
Is it interesting to come back to this team when it’s so much better than when you pitched here, despite the last-place finish in 2025?
“Obviously, the expectations are a little bit different and it’s something that I want to be a part of. You know as well as anybody, when you get people in Camden Yards in that playoff atmosphere, it’s a different spot. I think them being able to make the playoffs in ’23 and ’24, there’s a different vibe around here and different atmosphere from when I was here, and I’m glad to be a part of that.
“Just having that mentality and bringing that toward the minor league guys, as well, is like, ‘Hey, there’s an expectation when you put an O on your head,’ and we have what it takes to be able to be that team. And now it’s time to change that desire into reality.”
How did they lay out exactly what your duties are going to be?
“It’s gonna be upper level pitching coordinator, so I’ll be bouncing around and helping out between Triple-A and Double-A, and sometimes High-A, as well. But mainly just making sure guys know the ins and outs to be able to prepare themselves to be able to go up there and fit right now.
“Obviously, I’ve done that a time or two, so just making sure they know what to expect, where they’re gonna stay, all that kind of stuff. Make sure they feel comfortable and fit right in and go perform.”
Is there an advantage for you being able to relate to the younger players because you’re not that far removed from pitching?
“Yeah, that’s been kind of the No. 1 thing that I’ve hung my hat on is creating the relationship with the player and build that trust to be able to get them to align themselves with what you want to have them do when they go out there. I think that, and also just making sure they understand that this game is definitely a tester and at times you’re not gonna have your best days and that’s all right. But how can we limit those bad days?
“I’m excited to be able to work with these guys. A lot of these guys have really good stuff. Obviously, the farm system here is loaded, so it’s exciting to be able to step in with (pitching coordinator) Adam Schuck and Forrest Herrmann and basically the entire pitching group here, see where I can help and fit in, because they’ve built something here that’s really special.”