The Orioles have released their top-paid Latin American signing from 2011, 18-year-old righthander Elvis Duran, after only one professional season.

Duran, a 6-foot-7, 235-pound righthander from the Dominican Republic, signed with the Orioles in August 2011 for $150,000, the largest bonus the Orioles paid to an international amateur free agent in 2011. Duran pitched in six games as a reliever last season in the Dominican Summer League, allowing nine runs in eight innings with seven walks, eight strikeouts and two home runs. Prior to signing, Duran had touched the low-90s, but evaluators had concerns about his stiff delivery and arm action, and according to one source, Duran was released due to an elbow injury.

Duran was signed under the previous regime before general manager Dan Duquette took over and put Fred Ferreira in charge of the team's Latin American scouting. Aside from Henry Urrutia, a 25-year-old professional Cuban outfielder who signed in July for $778,500 using permanent Hatian residency papers and is still awaiting his visa, Duran was Baltimore's most expensive Latin American signing since they landed Dominican third baseman Hector Veloz for $300,000 in July 2010.