Last July, the Baltimore Orioles traded right-handed reliever Bryan Baker to the Tampa Bay Rays for the 37th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft after he spent nearly four years with the Orioles.
“When you’re in one place and you grow to love it and you’ve been there for three or four years, it’s definitely tough,” Baker said on Glenn Clark Radio May 26.
About one-third of the way into the 2026 season, the Rays lead the American League with a 36-22 record. Baker has been thriving with Tampa Bay as the club’s closer this season, recording a career-high 16 saves with a 2.13 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 25.1 innings.
Baker struggled some immediately after the trade, posting a 4.75 ERA in 30.1 innings with Tampa Bay a year ago.
“Getting thrown into the middle of it in a midseason trade was a little bit different, but they were such professionals about accepting me into the clubhouse, and I felt at home pretty much right away,” Baker said.
“The way they allow you to be yourself … you can emphasize doing what you’re good at and then also finding stuff that you’re not as good at and finding ways to improve, it’s pretty incredible,” the right-hander added.
Baker was claimed off waivers by the Orioles in November 2021. He went on to appear in 173 games but recorded just three saves. Baker said it’s a “different type of adrenaline” serving as closer, particularly compared to his days starting games in college and the low minors.
“Mentally I would say the transition to the bullpen in general — not even necessarily closing — was a huge boost for me, because I knew I didn’t have to roll through the lineup a few times and I could tap in to more of that adrenaline and passion,” Baker said.
The Orioles’ first series of the season against the Rays came in Tampa, where the Rays swept Baltimore in three straight games, one of which included a save by Baker. A week later, the Orioles evened the score by sweeping the Rays at home.
Returning to Baltimore was a strange feeling for Baker.
“All those emotions kind of come into it,” Baker said. “It’s a difficult task sometimes, turning on the competitive mode and getting after some people you love.”
In the May 25 series opener between the Orioles and Rays in Baltimore, Baker’s ex-teammate Colton Cowser smashed a two-run walk-off home run to end a 13-inning contest in the Orioles’ favor.
“I was maybe 1 percent happy for Colton,” Baker said with a chuckle. “He’s a good dude. We’re always chopping it up before the series now. He’s always telling me to not strike him out, and I always tell him to not take me for extra bases.”
The right-hander said that the offseason helped him adjust more to being a part of a new team since he didn’t have much time to adjust due to the trade occurring in the middle of the season.
“[Baltimore] is a special place for me. Besides having my debut in a Blue Jays uniform for one inning, all my other firsts were really here,” Baker said. “… I’ll always be excited to come back to Camden, for sure.”
For more from Baker, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays