The Baltimore Orioles Need to Act Quick Following Framber Valdez Update

The Baltimore Orioles have failed to sign their supposed top of the rotation starting pitcher, as Framber Valdez inked a massive three-year, $115 million dollar contract with the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, February 5, 2026. 

This news comes upsetting for Baltimore fans, as they have now seen their ball club swing and miss on numerous occasions. 

Since the start of the offseason, Baltimore was linked to EVERY top of the rotation starting pitcher. Unfortunately, these aces have found new homes. 

The Toronto Blue Jays handed Dylan Cease an enormous seven-year, $210 million dollar contract at the start of free agency. The Boston Red Sox landed Ranger Suarez on a five-year, $130 million dollar contract. The San Diego Padres retained free agent Michael King by offering him a brand new three-year, $75 million dollar contract. 

Valdez seemed like Baltimore's final hope, and at one point it seemed increasingly likely that Baltimore would land the ace. 

However, that was not the case. 

President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias simply got outbid for the southpaw, as Valdez's strategy of holding out till the best offer hit worked out. 

After losing out on Valdez, Baltimore (once again) has to pivot to round out their starting pitching rotation. 

There are still a lot of notable names available on the open market, such as Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. 

Although these names may not carry the same star power they once did, these veteran pitchers could still help elevate Baltimore's lackluster rotation. 

Elias could also choose to ignore the starting pitcher free agent market, and instead pivot to the trade block. 

Baltimore could acquire a more impactful arm via trade, but it would certainly cost them a lot. We saw first hand how expensive it is to acquire a starting pitcher with team control via trade, as Shane Baz commanded three top 11 prospects and a compensation pick to get the deal done. 

Some potential trade targets for Baltimore include Nick Pivetta, Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez and Sandy Alcantara. 

If Baltimore does elect to go this route, it would cost them quite the haul to get a deal done. 

Pivetta (my personal favorite) is coming off a career year in San Diego where he posted a 2.87 ERA (10th) and a 0.99 WHIP (5th) in 181.2 innings of work. Additionally, San Diego has a surplus of high quality relief pitchers, which is something that Baltimore currently lacks. A trade would make a lot of sense for these two clubs. 

Ryan and Lopez are Minnesota's two best starters, so they would have to be blown away by Baltimore's offer in order to accept it. 

Ryan posted a strong 3.42 ERA (18th) and 1.04 WHIP (9th) in 171.0 innings. Important to note that Ryan has two more years of team control, then hits free agency following the 2027 season. 

Lopez is coming off an injury riddled season where he only appeared in 14 games, but was lights out during that small sample size. The veteran posted a 2.74 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP in a limited 75.2 innings pitched. Like Ryan, Lopez is set to hit free agency following the 2027 season. Lopez has two more years remaining under contract, where he will make $21.75 million dollars annually. 

Alcantara is a former Cy Young Award winner in 2022, but has struggled to find consistent success since. Alcantara posted a 5.36 ERA in 174.2 innings last season, but ended the year on a high note. Across eight starts in August and September, Alcantara posted a 2.68 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts over 53.2 innings. 

There are still many high quality options available for Baltimore, but the clock is ticking. 

We are 15 days away from Spring Training and 48 days from Opening Day, so Baltimore has to think smart and act fast.