Orioles Take a Chance on Former AL East Pitcher Looking to Make a Comeback

The Baltimore Orioles are already looking toward next season, and their latest minor-league signing offers a glimpse of the kind of arms they could be willing to take a chance on this winter.

Baltimore signed right-hander Connor Cooke to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Norfolk, as per the latest update in the MiLB transaction log. The move won't draw much attention now as the postseason, but Cooke has a track record that makes the signing worth watching as the Orioles begin reshaping their pitching depth.

The Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. As a pitcher who had spent the majority of his career coming out of the bullpen, his 193 strikeouts across 138 innings in Toronto's minor-league system began to turn heads.

His 2023 season showed why teams might remain interested in that profile. Cooke struck out 80 batters in 44.1 innings across three minor-league levels, with Viral Sports News' Simeon Kotto highlighting a fastball that reached the upper 90s and a sharp slider. At his best, he had the kind of stuff that could make hitters uncomfortable even when they knew a fastball was coming.

The problem has been turning that ability into consistent results.

Cooke's command became less reliable as he climbed the minor-league ladder. In 2024, pitching for Triple-A Buffalo, he recorded 30 strikeouts in 31.2 innings but also issued 28 walks. That is a difficult balance for any reliever to maintain, especially when the margin for error gets smaller against more experienced hitters.

Then came the injury that cost him an entire season. Cooke underwent Tommy John surgery and did not pitch in 2025 before the Blue Jays released him in March 2026.

Despite such a devastating setback, Cooke eventually found his way back onto a competitive mound. He found an opportunity with the Lexington Legends of the Atlantic League, posting a 2.66 ERA and striking out 28 hitters in 23.2 innings.

That performance helped give Cooke another route back into affiliated baseball, and Baltimore has now given him a place to continue his comeback.

There is no guarantee he will reach the majors. Cooke still has to show that his command can hold up after surgery, and his earlier struggles at Triple-A make that an important part of his development. Norfolk gives the Orioles a chance to evaluate him before deciding whether he can eventually handle a larger role.

For Baltimore, the appeal is fairly straightforward. Cooke has already demonstrated the ability to generate strikeouts, and the minor-league deal limits the risk of finding out whether he can do it consistently again. The Orioles have added a pitcher with something to prove, and his next opportunity will depend on whether the control can catch up with the stuff.