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Orioles fail to sign second-round pick Hughes

Luke Jones

The Orioles failed to come to terms with 2015 second-round pick Jonathan Hughes before Friday’s signing deadline. The right-handed pitcher was the 68th overall pick out of Flowery Branch (Ga.) High, but he will instead attend college at Georgia Tech. As compensation for not coming to terms with Hughes, Baltimore will receive the 69th selection in the 2016 amateur draft. At 6-foot-2 and 184 pounds, Hughes possesses a fastball that sits in the low 90s along with a slider, curve, and changeup, a repertoire that made him an attractive prospect to the Orioles. The slot in which he was drafted carried a bonus-pool value of $907,000. Hughes is the highest Orioles draft pick to go unsigned since pitcher Wade Townsend in 2004, but the organization was able to sign 35 of their 41 selections in the 2015 draft. In other news, the Orioles have signed veteran left-handers Dana Eveland and Andy Oliver to minor-league deals. The 31-year-old Eveland spent part of the 2012 season in Baltimore, pitching to a 4.73 ERA in 32 1/3 innings.  

Orioles designate lefty reliever Wright for assignment

Luke Jones

With his minor-league rehab assignment coming to an end, Orioles left-handed reliever Wesley Wright was activated from the 60-day disabled list and designated for assignment. Signed to a $1.7 million contract in December, Wright made just two appearances for Baltimore in the first week of the season before being placed on the DL with a left trapezius strain on April 11. The 30-year-old allowed one run in just 1 2/3 innings. Pitching with diminished velocity, Wright posted a 7.71 ERA in 11 2/3 rehab innings for Triple-A Norfolk. Even after he agreed to extend his rehab assignment, the Orioles simply couldn’t find room in the bullpen for a left-hander not pitching effectively. The Orioles could be in the market for a top-shelf reliever at the trade deadline to ease the workload on All-Star pitchers Zach Britton and Darren O’Day, but Wright did not fit that profile, making him expendable in a bullpen ranking third in the American League with a 2.90 ERA at the All-Star break.

Ravens thoughts on Koch, safety position, Ngata

Luke Jones

At a time of year when you pray for peace and quiet while counting down to the start of training camp, the Ravens made positive news last week by signing veteran punter Sam Koch to a long-term extension. Despite being the second-longest tenured player on the team behind Terrell Suggs, the 32-year-old’s future had been under scrutiny the last couple offseasons due to a high salary cap figure for a punter, but general manager Ozzie Newsome showed how much the organization valued Koch by inking him to a five-year, $16.25 million extension that runs through the 2020 season. The 2006 sixth-round pick was coming off arguably the best season of his career in which he led the NFL in net punting with a 43.3 yard average. Koch will receive good pay for however long he remains in Baltimore — the structure of the contract would make it fairly easy to cut him as early as the conclusion of the 2016 season if desired — but the deal still ranks outside the top five for punter contracts in total cash and guaranteed money. Remembering that the salary cap has increased by more than $23 million since 2011 makes Koch’s deal much

Orioles sign former All-Star closer Perez to minor-league deal

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — Though still needing to serve a 50-game suspension, former All-Star relief pitcher Chris Perez agreed to a minor-league deal with the Orioles on Thursday. The 30-year-old will report to Sarasota while serving the ban for a second offense of using a drug of abuse. Perez had posted a 9.39 ERA in 7 2/3 innings for Triple-A Colorado Springs in the Milwaukee Brewers organization this season before opting out of his deal in late April to become a free agent. “That doesn’t affect us right now, obviously, for 50 games,” said manager Buck Showalter, who learned of the signing Thursday afternoon. “We all makes some changes in our life and get better. I don’t know much at all about what’s been going on with him. “I do know there are some other variables there that figure into it, I think.” A two-time All-Star closer for the Cleveland Indians in 2011 and 2012 — he collected a combined 75 saves in those seasons — the right-hander and his wife were arrested for marijuana possession in 2013 after a package with nine ounces of marijuana was delivered to his home in their dog’s name. Perez’s career has declined since then as

Ex-Ravens lineman Damion Cook dead at 36

Luke Jones

Former Ravens offensive lineman and Atholton head coach Damion Cook died at age 36 from a heart attack on Friday. The Nashville native appeared in 13 games as a reserve for Baltimore from 2002-2004 and also played for Cleveland and Detroit in his NFL career. Cook, a Bethune-Cookman product, earned attention for a humorous impression of All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series during the summer of 2001. Cook also played in the Canadian Football League, the United Football League, and the Arena Football League during his professional career. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Terps’ Wells untaken, Orioles prospect Connaughton selected in NBA draft

Luke Jones

Two prospects of local interest saw mixed results during Thursday’s NBA draft as Maryland forward Dez Wells went unselected while Orioles pitching prospected Pat Connaughton was taken in the second round. Despite going undrafted after a strong senior season in which he averaged 15.1 points per game, Wells is expected to join an NBA summer league team and will be given an opportunity to make a roster. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Wells lacks the ideal size to play forward and will need to continue developing his perimeter ability to make it as a guard at the NBA level, but his athleticism and competitive drive still figure to attract a potential suitor for summer workouts. (Update: Wells has agreed to join the Wizards’ summer league roster, according to Comcast SportsNet.) Connaughton’s story is more intriguing as he was selected by the Brooklyn Nets before his draft rights were sent to the Portland Trailblazers in a deal that also involved former Maryland point guard Steve Blake. After being taken by the Orioles in the fourth round of last year’s MLB amateur draft and reportedly receiving a $428,000 signing bonus, Connaughton appeared set to pursue a career as a top 10 pitching prospect in

Orioles activate Gonzalez from DL, option Givens to Bowie

Luke Jones

The Orioles welcomed back one of their most dependable pieces of the starting rotation Thursday by activating right-handed pitcher Miguel Gonzalez from the 15-day disabled list. Making the start in the series finale against Boston, Gonzalez hadn’t pitched for Baltimore since injuring his right groin in a June 9 start against the Red Sox. The 31-year-old made one rehab start for Double-A Bowie, allowing two runs on four hits over five innings of work on Saturday. In his first 12 starts of the season, Gonzalez was 5-4 with a 3.33 ERA in 73 innings of work. To make room for Gonzalez on the active roster, the Orioles optioned right-handed relief pitcher Mychal Givens back to Bowie. The 25-year-old made his major league debut on Wednesday night, striking out one in a scoreless inning of work in a 5-1 loss at Fenway Park. Givens became the 999th player to appear in a game for the Orioles since the franchise moved to Baltimore in 1954. With lefty Wei-Yin Chen scheduled to be recalled to make the series-opening start against the Cleveland Indians at Camden Yards, the Orioles will need to make another roster move on Friday. Seven outfielders remain on the current

Orioles recall McFarland; Jones sits again on Wednesday

Luke Jones

The Orioles tinkered with their bullpen yet again prior to Wednesday’s game in Boston by recalling left-handed pitcher T.J. McFarland and optioning right-hander Oliver Drake to Triple-A Norfolk. After spending the required 10 days with the Tides upon being sent down on June 14, McFarland brings more length to a bullpen that’s worked hard in recent weeks. Drake was recalled from Norfolk on Sunday but did not appear in a game in his latest stint with the Orioles. McFarland sports a 1.93 ERA in 9 1/3 innings for the Orioles this season, but that mark is deceiving as the 26-year-old southpaw has allowed 12 hits and issued eight walks, numbers that have earned him a 4.71 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) mark. The former Rule 5 pick settled into a long relief role last season while posting a 2.76 ERA in 58 2/3 innings of work, but his control issues have been problematic in 2015. The Orioles will need to make another roster move on Thursday with starting pitcher Miguel Gonzalez scheduled to return from the disabled list to start against the Red Sox. Right-handed pitcher Mychal Givens is expected to be sent back to the minors to make room, returning

Jones falls, Machado climbs in latest All-Star voting update

Luke Jones

While the Kansas City Royals continue to dominate the All-Star voting in the American League, the Orioles’ chances of securing a starter appear bleaker. In the latest AL voting update released on Monday, four-time All-Star selection Adam Jones fell to seventh among outfielders and trails the third-place Alex Gordon by nearly 3 million votes. The 29-year-old center fielder ranked fifth among outfielders in last week’s update. In the midst of his best season, the 22-year-old Manny Machado climbed to fourth among AL third baseman but trails the first-place Mike Moustakas by nearly 8 million votes. While seven Kansas City players are currently slated to be starters — Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout are the only non-Royals — the Orioles had no other players appear among the leaders. Voting concludes on July 2 with the 2015 All-Star Game set for July 14 in Cincinnati. Here is the latest AL voting update for the #ASG: pic.twitter.com/AcT8hF7krb — MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) June 22, 2015 Let’s just take a moment to remember we’re living in a world in which 6,521,733 votes have been cast for a second baseman rocking a .549 OPS. As Buck Showalter put it, Royals second

Veteran cornerback says Ravens interested in signing him

Luke Jones

At a time of year when most free agents have at least found a home for training camp, veteran cornerback Tarell Brown says the Ravens are one of several teams showing interest in his services. A former starter with the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders, the 30-year-old told Sirius XM NFL Radio over the weekend that Baltimore was one of four teams who have expressed interest in signing him on the open market. He started 14 games last year in his only season with the Raiders, making 55 tackles and four pass breakups. Brown spent the previous seven seasons with the 49ers, starting 47 games and collecting 11 interceptions. He was a starting cornerback against the Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII, making three tackles and forcing a fumble. Already anticipating the healthy returns of starters Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb, general manager Ozzie Newsome boosted the Ravens’ veteran depth at cornerback this offseason by signing former New England Patriots slot cornerback Kyle Arrington and former Indianapolis Colt Cassius Vaughn to compete with the likes of Rashaan Melvin, Asa Jackson, and Tramain Jacobs. Newsome hasn’t shied away from adding veteran cornerbacks over the summer in recent years as he

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