The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are proud to announce that the contract of left-handed starting pitcher Mike O’Connor has been purchased by the Kansas City Royals. O’Connor is the sixth pitcher and eighth Blue Crab to be signed by a Major League outfit this season.

O’Connor departs Southern Maryland less than a month after joining the team. In four starts with the Blue Crabs, O’Connor earned two wins with a 3.13 ERA. The southpaw posted 21 strikeouts in 23 innings of work, while giving up 24 hits and only four walks. The Blue Crabs were 3-1 in his four starts.

In 2002, O’Connor was drafted in the seventh round by the Montreal Expos, now the Washington Nationals, and spent seven seasons with that organization. In 2006 and 2008, O’Connor appeared in 26 games in the Majors with the Nationals, making 21 big league starts, posting a 4-9 record with a 5.45 ERA. In eight minor league seasons, O’Connor has a 39-35 record with a 3.81 ERA and 588 strikeouts. The Ellicott City, Maryland native pitched collegiately at Division I George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

O’Connor joins the impressive list of Blue Crabs players to head for Major League organizations this season. Pitchers Matt DeSalvo (Tampa Bay Rays), Jim Ed Warden (New York Mets), John Halama (Atlanta Braves), Kenny Baugh (Houston Astros), and Matt Hensley (Toronto Blue Jays) have each had their contracts purchased in 2009. First baseman Eric Crozier (Baltimore Orioles) and shortstop Travis Garcia (Seattle Mariners) are the two position players also picked up.