The Orioles have released lefthanded pitching prospects Tony Butler and Jake Smith according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (via Twitter). Both had been playing with Baltimore's Low Class-A affiliate.
Butler, 22, was the Mariners' third round pick in the 2006 draft, and was traded to the Orioles as part of the Erik Bedard deal. He battled injury and ineffectiveness after the trade, posting a 5.91 ERA in 112.2 innings with the organization, including a 7.66 ERA in 44.2 innings this season. Baseball America ranked him as the team's 24th best prospect as recently as last season.
Smith, 24, was Baltimore's 45th round pick in 2007, and pitched to a respectable 4.01 ERA in 112.1 innings. In 33.2 innings in 2010, he posted a 4.54 ERA with unimpressive peripherals. Neither he nor Butler made it out of A-ball.
