2017 4th round pick (128): Jack Conlon - RHP - Clements HS (TX)

[Luke-OH]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

I don't think that's accurate.  They knew he wouldn't accept the 140K so instead of offering it and forcing him to go back to school they foolishly did him a favor and let him become a free agent.

I mean that's one way to take it, but as far as I know (I haven't read anything from any team insiders saying that), the idea that they did it to be nice is just speculation.  

[Can_of_corn]

26 minutes ago, phillyOs119 said:

I mean that's one way to take it, but as far as I know (I haven't read anything from any team insiders saying that), the idea that they did it to be nice is just speculation.  

Sure it is but how big a gulf would there have to be between the O's medical staff and the other teams for that not to be the case?

[weams]

On 8/3/2017 at 9:04 PM, Can_of_corn said:

I don't think that's accurate.  They knew he wouldn't accept the 140K so instead of offering it and forcing him to go back to school they foolishly did him a favor and let him become a free agent.

I might dispute this. 

[weams]

https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/896398824289251328

Could not find a job. 

[weams]

2 minutes ago, weams said:

https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/896398824289251328

Could not find a job. 

howbowdah

[Chavez Ravine]

Rosenthal claims that the Giants had an entirely different issue with the physical than the Orioles did.  Really? Seems somewhat far fetched.

https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/896398867763261440

[Can_of_corn]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/free-agent-conlon-heads-texas/?utm_content=buffer61a94&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#LSiV5v4VKrjD6jSd.97

[Tony-OH]

Here's to hoping the kid can stay healthy and overcome the physical issues. As a father of a young DIV-I athlete who's career was cut short by injury, I understand the disappointment he must be going through. 

Hopefully he'll get whatever he has fixed have a few good seasons and get redrafted in three years.

[Tony-OH]

On 6/13/2017 at 2:23 PM, Slade-OH said:

Jack Conlon - RHP - 6'4" - 220

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After missing much of his junior high school season with a strained oblique, Conlon made an impression on the showcase circuit last summer with a big league body and a fastball to match. He's still making the transition from thrower to pitcher, but he has added some polish and has looked like a top-three-rounds pick when at his best this spring.

Conlon can pitch at 92-95 mph with life on his fastball and back it up with an 81-84 mph slider on days when his mechanics are in sync. His changeup lags behind his other two pitches, though it has some fade and he shows some feel for it. He has a classic pitcher's build at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds that bodes well for his durability.

Conlon lacks consistency, however, because he has a rough delivery with effort and a head whack. The Texas A&M recruit doesn't always stay on top of his slider, so it can become quite slurvy. Some scouts think he's destined for the bullpen, while others point to the progress he has made as a senior and think he can remain a starter if he continues to develop.

 

Video

Tony's Quick Take: It's the 4th round and at this point the chances of these guys becoming a big leaguers are down to 31% (for high schoolers) and 18% for playing three or more years. Conlon seems a bit like a project since some of the reports talk about a hack whack and having a fastball that's pretty straight. That's not a great combination but I'm assuming the Orioles saw something different. Maryland shortstop Kevin Smith was still on the board and he was taken with the very next pick by the Blue Jays. The percentages say take the college hitter over the high school arm, but the O's choose to go with upside though the system is barren with legitimate shortstop prospects.

Just a reminder who Gary Rasich took instead of the University of Maryland's Kevin Smith. He ended up transferring to a Junior college and has 7.71 ERA two short appearances.

[McLovin]

On 3/11/2019 at 2:41 PM, Tony-OH said:

Just a reminder who Gary Rasich took instead of the University of Maryland's Kevin Smith. He ended up transferring to a Junior college and has 7.71 ERA two short appearances.

Can’t sleep these days, so I had an early morning trip down draft memory lane. Google eventually landed me in this thread. 
 

Poor kid was always hurt, eventually ended up at Rice, the pandemic hit, and now he’s a junior real estate agent. 

[Tony-OH]

14 hours ago, McLovin said:

Can’t sleep these days, so I had an early morning trip down draft memory lane. Google eventually landed me in this thread. 
 

Poor kid was always hurt, eventually ended up at Rice, the pandemic hit, and now he’s a junior real estate agent. 

Funny, I've done this as well. Definitely was not a good pick for lots of reasons. I would love to have a scouting director go through years later why they made certain picks.