Free-Agent Conlon Heads To Texas A&M

A month after being declared a free agent, righthander Jack Conlon has decided to attend Texas A&M after all. He never passed a physical, either with the Orioles, who drafted him in the fourth round, or with free-agent suitors such as the Giants, to whom he’d been most strongly linked.

A source close to Conlon confirmed social-media reports by Ken Rosenthal and d1baseball.com that Conlon won’t sign and will attend Texas A&M.

The 128th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Conlon becomes the highest unsigned high school draft pick who will attend college. Just three players drafted in the first 10 rounds failed to sign, all righthanded pitchers—supplemental first-rounder Drew Rasmussen (No. 31 overall), Conlon and Joseph Booker.

Rasmussen, like Conlon, didn’t pass a physical with the Rays and confirmed that he’s headed back to Oregon State.

However, two doctors who have examined Rasmussen have advised him to have a second surgery on his elbow, which already has had one ligament replacement surgery. A second one could be performed as early as this week.

Meanwhile Conlon, out of Clemens High in Sugar Land, Texas, ran into trouble with his MRI exam, as did Rasmussen. Conlon’s case is somewhat similar to that of Brady Singer, who helped Florida win the 2017 College World Series two years after declining to sign with the Blue Jays as a second-round pick when his physical exam turned up issues that made the Blue Jays reduce their offer.

Singer was never declared a free agent, however, as Conlon was at the July 7 signing deadline. More than a dozen major league organizations expressed interest in Conlon when he became a free agent, but he ultimately wasn’t able to pass a physical to sign a professional contract.

Instead, he joins fellow BA 500 members Asa Lacy, a lefty, and outfielder Zach DeLoach in the Aggies’ freshman class.