Notes on James Shields, minor league releases and Joey Rickard's walk-heavy night

According to a report from MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Orioles have been in touch with the San Diego Padres to inquire about right-handed starting pitcher James Shields.

On the surface, this makes sense with Kevin Gausman's recent shoulder issue and the rotation's generally shaky overall pitching this spring. But then you have to consider that Shields is 34, owed at least $65 million through 2018 and coming off his poorest season since 2010. Considering this, it doesn't quite add up that well.

Shields certainly knows about the American League East, going 87-73 with an ERA of 3.89 for Tampa Bay from 2006 through 2012. Last year for the Padres, the right-hander went 13-7 with an ERA of 3.91. He allowed a National League-high 33 homers, averaged a career-worst 3.6 walks per nine innings and had a WHIP of 1.334. Were these the numbers of a pitcher just a little off his usual production or the signs of a pitcher in decline?

* The Orioles have released three players from their minor league camp at the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex at Twin Lakes Park. They are catcher Phil Llewellyn, outfielder Felix Perez and left-handed pitcher Bennett Parry.

Parry has since signed with the Lincoln Saltdogs of the independent American Association.

The 22-year-old Llewellyn, a native of Curacao, played two seasons with the Orioles. In 72 at-bats last year between Single-A Delmarva and Single-A Frederick, he hit .167 with no homers and six RBIs.

The 31-year-old Perez, a native of Cuba, spent the 2010 through 2014 seasons in the Cincinnati Reds minor league system. He played in 2015 in Mexico and hit .312 with 20 homers and 70 RBIs in 94 games.

The 24-year-old Parry spent five seasons on the O's farm after they drafted him in 2011 in round 40 out of Cal State-Northridge. For Delmarva in 2015, he went 3-3 with a 2.82 ERA in nine games and 44 2/3 innings. In 64 career games (31 starts) he went 10-12 with a 2.71 ERA over 216 innings.

* Orioles Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard had a .427 on-base percentage last year. It might have seemed like it, but it did not all come in one game.

Last July 7, playing for Double-A Montgomery against Biloxi, Rickard drew a Southern League-record six walks. He did not swing the bat even one time in that game. He scored two runs, stole three bases and even drove in a run, drawing his sixth walk with the bases loaded. Here is the game story from that night.

Between three teams last year, Rickard hit .321/.427/.447 with 28 doubles, eight triples, two homers and 55 RBIs. He stole 23 bases and scored 62 runs. His .321 average was the best by any Tampa Bay minor league player in 2015. The Rays selected Rickard, a Las Vegas native, in the ninth round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Arizona.

Rickard, an outfielder, began the 2015 season in high Single-A ball, moved to Double-A and ended it in Triple-A. In those 29 games with Triple-A Durham, Rickard hit .360/.437/.472 and he hit .413 against right-handed pitching. He has a career .283 average and .390 OBP.

Rickard certainly is well on his way to making the Orioles' opening day roster. In recent years, Rule 5 picks have seem to fit in one of two categories: very low level minor league players with big upside, like pitcher Jason Garcia last year, or more experienced players closer to the majors like Rickard.

He may never walk six times as an Oriole, but he has done enough to make this team. By the way, no Oriole has ever walked six times in a game and just one player ever walked five times. Bobby Grich holds the club single-game record, walking five times against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 9, 1975.