While Justin Verlander really didn't have a great season for the San Francisco Giants in 2025, there are still teams -- at least one -- who are kicking the tires, if you will, on the future Baseball Hall of Famer.

And, if you doubt Verlander will be in Cooperstown, N.Y., at some point, then just look up his career numbers.

In the meantime, which MLB team might want to have Verlander join their rotation in 2026? The Baltimore Orioles. 

MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic had some insights on a possible deal that would land Verlander in Baltimore.

"Verlander, who turns 43 next month, is from Virginia," Rosenthal wrote. "He knows Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias from their time together with the Houston Astros in 2017 and ’18. And the Orioles are still trying to add another starting pitcher, preferably one at or near the top of the rotation, in free agency or trade."

Verlander is a free agent still on the market and it's more than halfway through January at this point. He's pitched for the Detroit Tigers, two turns with the Astros, and what amounted to a cup of coffee with the New York Mets. Add the Giants to his list of stops, too.

There's no doubt that Baltimore could use a veteran pitcher like Verlander on its staff. Yet Rosenthal also pointed out that the Orioles signed veteran pitcher Charlie Morton and that, well, didn't pan out at all.

Rosenthal did make it clear in his story that no deal between Verlander and the Orioles is on the table at this point. In fact, Rosenthal believes that the Orioles are looking a bit higher than Verlander in the free-agent pitching market.

Framber Valdez, who finished up a stellar run with the Astros in 2025, is still available. Some might wonder why Valdez is still on the market and hasn't been signed yet.

It should be pointed out that while Valdez can be an awesome lefthander who has a very effective curveball, Valdez also has a history of being a bit troublesome in the clubhouse. In other words, Valdez might not have an attitude that pleases a bunch of MLB teams...including the Orioles.

Rosenthal also tossed out some statistics regarding Verlander's time with the Giants last season. In Verlander's first 16 starts last season, he posted a 4.99 ERA. In his final 13 starts, he had a 2.60 ERA. Verlander struck out 10 in five innings against the Orioles on Aug. 31, then held the Los Angeles Dodgers to one run in seven innings on Sept. 12.

Now, could the Giants maybe bring Verlander back? Probably not. The ballclub has done some work on improving its starting rotation. So, Giants fans probably will not see Verlander in Giants colors this season. It's still, though, interesting to see how Verlander just might finish up his MLB career.

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