He is working out at the University of Southern Maine, still not sure where he will be in a few months.

But the uncertainty is now familiar for Ryan Flaherty.

Flaherty, 32, is again a baseball player without a team, a free agent for the second straight offseason.

There are questions about Flaherty’s future. Will he find a team interested? What will he do when he stops playing? Flaherty is not ready to face that second question, as his agent searches for a team to play for in 2019.

“There’s always a ton of speculation,” Flaherty said. “Just wait and see, and go where they tell you to go.

“I went through it for the first time last year.”

Flaherty, the Portland native and Deering High graduate, enjoyed stability for his first six years in the major leagues as a utility player for the Baltimore Orioles. Flaherty built a reputation for playing nearly every position, hitting in the clutch, and showing an uncanny success at Fenway Park (.308 average/.796 OPS).

But after the 2017 season, Flaherty was a free agent.

The last offseason featured a new sign of the times, when teams were slow to sign free agents. Utility infielders, especially, were not hot commodities, and Flaherty found no job offers. While Orioles Manager Buck Showalter treasured Flaherty’s versatility, Flaherty and his .217 batting average were not attracting attention.

Finally, Flaherty signed a minor league contract with the Phillies, with an invitation to major league spring training. But near the end of March, Flaherty did not see a future in Philadelphia and opted out. The Atlanta Braves, depleted by injuries, signed Flaherty and added him to the major league roster when the season began.

Flaherty stayed with the Braves organization for the entire year. It was an up-and-down season. Because of injuries, Flaherty was the team’s regular third baseman the first month, and was leading the National League in batting on April 22 with a .362 average. His numbers and playing time dwindled – the Braves even signed and tried Jose Bautista at third base for a 12-game stretch in May.

On Aug. 20, Flaherty was designated for assignment and eventually assigned to the Braves’ Triple-A team. Two weeks later, the roller coaster continued and Flaherty was promoted back to the majors. He made Atlanta’s postseason roster and appeared in two games of the NLDS, won by the Dodgers, three games to one.

Twenty days later, Flaherty was a free agent again.

“We were in Maine when the season ended,” Flaherty said. “Then back to training in November.”

Flaherty and his wife, Ashley, headed to southeast Florida. Ashley is from Fort Lauderdale, and Flaherty trained in Jupiter at Cressey Sports Performance. It is a popular destination for pro baseball players, run by Eric Cressey, a native of Kennebunkport.

“You talk to a lot of people,” Flaherty said. There are rumors about what teams are looking for players.

“But it doesn’t matter until there’s an offer,” he said. “You just show up, work hard and wait.

“Realistically, a lot bigger people will sign first.”

Manny Machado and Bryce Harper are among the “bigger people” atop the free agent list.

While Flaherty waits to hear from his agent, his winter routine remains the same. He arrived back in Maine for the holidays, working out at USM, where his father, Ed Flaherty, is the baseball coach. Ryan will again make an appearance at his dad’s holiday clinic this Sunday.

Next month, Ryan Flaherty will be back in Florida, likely still in a waiting pattern.

Does he ever think the end is near?

“When you sign up for this, that’s inevitable. At some point it’s going to happen,” Flaherty said.

Then what?

“I haven’t thought totally what I want to do. There are days I’d love to stay in baseball, and days thinking I might want to do other stuff … (but) I think coaching is something I might want to do … we’ll see.”

The more immediate question is what team will give Flaherty a chance.

We’ll see.

Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or:

kthomas@pressherald.com

Twitter: @ClearTheBases

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