Free Agent

Veteran left-hander Randy Wolf, who appeared in five games with the Orioles at the end of this season, will have Tommy John surgery on his left elbow next week and will miss all of 2013. The 36-year-old said in an email Tuesday that this does not mean his career is over. “I won't be able to pitch until 2014, and yes, I will pitch in 2014,” Wolf wrote. Dr. Lewis Yocum, the Los Angeles Angels team doctor who performed the same procedure on Wolf in 2005, will operate on him Oct. 30 in Los Angeles, Wolf said.

Two days after the end of the NFL draft, former Maryland defensive lineman Joe Vellano has found a home. Vellano, a three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference honoree, signed Tuesday with the New England Patriots, according to Terps coach Randy Edsall. Vellano is the fourth former Terp to join an NFL team as an undrafted free agent. The others are tight end Matt Furstenburg (Baltimore Ravens), defensive lineman A.J. Francis (Miami Dolphins) and linebacker Darin Drakeford (Kansas City Chiefs)

The Orioles and representatives for free agent right-handed pitcher Brett Myers have not had any conversations since the groups arrived in Nashville on Sunday night and no meetings have been set up at this point. If the Orioles have any interest in Myers, as was reported Sunday by FoxSports.com, it would be considered minimal and preliminary, the source said. That could change as the market develops, but at this point the 32-year-old Myers does not seem to be a priority for the Orioles.

Running back Anthony Allen , a key performer on the Ravens' highly successful special teams units last season, signed his exclusive rights free agent tender, the team announced today. Allen, a 24-year-old who the Ravens drafted out of Georgia Tech in the seventh round of the 2011 draft, has 19 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown in two seasons with the team. He was one of the Ravens' most valuable and unheralded special teams players this past season. Allen was the lead blocker for Pro Bowl kick returner Jacoby Jones , who set a franchise record with three return touchdowns during the regular season.

The Ravens won't announce their latest undrafted free agent class until the players officially pass physicals and sign contracts, which will happen at some point before the start of the rookie mini-camp in the second week of May. But most - if not all of the names have come out and been confirmed - either on the player's Twitter accounts, by their college athletic departments or in media reports. Below are the undrafted free agents on the defensive side of the ball. The offensive players were discussed in a follow-up entry.

We're two hours into free agency and the national news continues to come fast and furious. Now we have a bit of Ravens news being reported by a pair of national outlets. CBS Sports reports that Ben Grubbs will meet with the New Orleans Saints tomorrow. ESPN says that Cory Redding is visiting the Indianapolis Colts tonight. Grubbs is widely regarded as the second-best guard in free agency behind Carl Nicks, who was a Pro Bowl player for the Saints in 2011. The fact that Grubbs is reportedly visiting the Saints suggests that Nicks and the Saints are headed to Splitsville.

In the Andy MacPhail era, which is marking its fourth offseason this winter, the Orioles have never been a major player in free agency, preferring to give shorter, more conservative contracts to role players and former stars looking for resurgence. The largest free-agent deal the Orioles have doled out since MacPhail took over as president of baseball operations in June 2007 was the two-year, $12 million contract signed by reliever Michael Gonzalez last winter. This offseason, that philosophy could change, albeit slightly, because MacPhail and the Orioles are searching for a legitimate power bat — and that could be pricey.

That the Boston Red Sox are talking to free-agent outfielder Adam LaRoche, which was reported Wednesday, isn't exactly new. The Red Sox were among a handful of teams - the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays also on that list - that had contact with the former Washington National earlier in the winter. But that the Red Sox, presumably in more advanced discussions than before, are back in the conversation is an interesting development in the free agency of LaRoche, and for various reasons.

The NFL free agency period starts Tuesday afternoon, but there isn't much buzz surrounding the Ravens. Actually, it's pretty ho-hum, and likely to remain that way for a while. First, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome is never one to make a deal immediately. He prefers to let the market settle, and then find the right player for the right price. And then there is this little problem of the Ravens being only $14.44 million under the league salary cap of $120.6 million with no team unrestricted free agents signed, and the team also wanting to sign quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice to long-term contracts.

With little salary cap room and other priorities, the Ravens knew that they'd lose several key contributors from the team that beat the San Francisco 49ers last month to win Super Bowl XLVII. Their first free agent defection came less than an hour after the market opened today as outside linebacker Paul Kruger agreed to terms on a five-year deal with the Cleveland Browns worth $40 million, according to league sources. Kruger's loss was expected after the 27-year-old linebacker had a breakout 2012-13 season, leading the Ravens with nine sacks to go along with 42 tackles, one interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Ravens officials made it clear at this week's NFL meetings that their primary focus over the next month is not what remains on the free-agent market. With 12 selections in next month's draft, the organization is busy evaluating college players who will help replenish a roster that has been hit hard by free agency, releases and retirements. But with a little over $7 million of remaining salary-cap space, the Ravens are still looking to add a couple of free agents, hoping to find a couple of bargains that will help fill some holes.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome is back to his old theme: "right player, right price. " He is hustling around the NFL these days searching flea markets and basements trying to find player bargains to fill out his roster to start the 2013 season. The Ravens, who have little salary cap room, might be able to sign a big-name free agent like linebacker Elvis Dumervil or James Harrison if they cut a veteran or two, but they're basically in the hunt for stop-gap veterans who still might have a year or two left.

The league's top decision makers will spend the next three days at the posh Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix for the NFL Annual Meetings. On the agenda is voting on several potential rule changes, along with an address by commissioner Roger Goodell . It also could be a particularly significant week for the Ravens, who will make a final pitch to try and re-sign free agent safety Ed Reed , learn how many compensatory picks they'll have in...

PHOENIX -- The Ravens were awarded four compensatory picks for next month's draft, bringing their total number of selections to 12. Because of their free-agent losses last offseason, they were awarded extra picks in the fourth (130th overall), fifth (168l), sixth (203) and seventh (247) rounds, the NFL announced Monday at its annual meetings at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. The Ravens already had picks in all seven rounds and an extra sixth-round selection courtesy of the trade that sent veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin to the San Francisco 49ers.

A little more than a month since the Super Bowl XLVII victory parade, the party has officially ended for the Ravens. When they next take the field for the start of organized team activities, the Ravens will have a significantly different look from the group that beat the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31, on Feb. 3 to capture the second world championship in franchise history. Since their offseason began, they have lost eight players who were starters at different points of this past season.

With little salary cap room and other priorities, the Ravens knew that they'd lose several key contributors from the team that beat the San Francisco 49ers last month to win Super Bowl XLVII. Their first free agent defection came less than an hour after the market opened today as outside linebacker Paul Kruger agreed to terms on a five-year deal with the Cleveland Browns worth $40 million, according to league sources. Kruger's loss was expected after the 27-year-old linebacker had a breakout 2012-13 season, leading the Ravens with nine sacks to go along with 42 tackles, one interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

The Orioles have decided to non-tender Jo-Jo Reyes, allowing him to become a free agent. Reyes was snagged off the waiver wire from the Toronto Blue Jays at midseason and posted a 6.16 ERA for the Orioles in nine games (five starts). With the acquisition of Dana Eveland last week, and the Orioles' interest in other starting pitchers in the market, Reyes, 27, became expendable. The Orioles also have non-tendered Luke Scott, though they hope to bring him back at a salary lesser than the $6.4 million he made in 2011.

The Washington Mystics signed free agent Katie Smith , whom general manager Angela Taylor called "the LeBron James of this free-agency process" and "the Wilt Chamberlain or the Michael Jordan of the WNBA." Smith, 35, is the third-leading scorer in WNBA history and, when points from the American Basketball League are added in, the highest scorer in U.S. women's professional basketball. The 5-foot-11 guard helped the Detroit Shock win two WNBA championships and was the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 Finals.

Five points as the Ravens and wide receiver Anquan Boldin remain at an impasse over the wide receiver's status for the 2013-14 season:   1. It has been said and written that the Ravens have until tomorrow's start of free agency to make a decision on Boldin. While they'd obviously like to get the situation rectified as soon as possible, there is no deadline. The Ravens are already under the cap so they don't need to slash anymore salaries before the market opens at 4 p.m. tomorrow.

Look for the Cleveland Browns to make an early push during free agency to sign several of the Ravens defensive players. The Browns are $47 million under the salary cap and have privately showed interest in linebackers Dannell Ellerbe, Paul Kruger and cornerback Cary Williams. The Ravens won't make a hard push to sign Kruger and Williams, but they want Ellerbe back.There is speculation Ellerbe wants $6 million per season and the Ravens are prepared to offer $5 million. Ellerbe's durability will be an issue if and when he hits the market.