The Orioles did not sign fourth-round pick Jack Conlon, a Texas A&M signee out of Clemens High in Sugar Land, Texas. But that's not where the story ends.

Sources indicated to BA and an official with Major League Baseball has confirmed that Conlon will become a free agent.

Draft rules state that if a player fails his physical, the team must offer the player 40 percent of the slot value of the pick in order to receive a compensation pick. If the team makes no offer, the player becomes an unrestricted free agent and is not subject to the draft bonus pool system, and the team cannot receive a compensation pick for the unsigned pick.

The Orioles alleged that Conlon failed his physical with the team, and they made no offer to Conlon after the results of his physical. Baltimore's big league club, under owner Peter Angelos, has a long history of not signing players after physical exams, though those same players have passed physicals with other teams.

Conlon was expected to sign with the Orioles prior to the results of his physical, with his bonus demands likely being more than $1 million. Sources indicated there would be a 48-hour period before Conlon can start fielding free-agent offers, though MLB had yet to confirm that.

Conlon ranked No. 239 on the BA500 prior to the draft. His pre-draft scouting report: