With Dylan Cease having signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, that is one top pitcher off the 2026 MLB Free Agency market. For a pitcher like Framber Valdez still being on the market, this makes him one of the top pitcher targets now for teams to sign.
Framber Valdez has now been heavily linked to the New York Mets following Cease’s signing, but there is another team that makes sense to sign Valdez as well.
The team that makes sense to sign Framber Valdez is the Baltimore Orioles.
*THIS IS A PREDICTION, NOT A REPORT*
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Baltimore Orioles Signing Framber Valdez in MLB Free Agency
The Baltimore Orioles desperately need a boost in the pitching department ahead of the 2026 MLB season getting underway. The Orioles were reportedly looking to sign Dylan Cease before he ended up signing with the Blue Jays, which shows that Baltimore knows they must enhance their rotation if they want to become contenders once again.
The rotation Baltimore is currently set to have in 2026 is Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Grayson Rodriguez, Tyler Wells, and Dean Kremer, further adding to their need to have another pitcher with starting qualities in the lineup. With Cease off the board, the Orioles should shift their attention to signing Framber Valdez.
Framber Valdez is coming off a season with the Houston Astros, where he had a 3.66 ERA, 1.245 WHIP, and 187 strikeouts. Between his stable production he is continuing to provide throughout his career, along with his eight years of MLB experience, he can come to Baltimore and make an immediate impact.
On top of his production still being impactful, Framber Valdez has a connection already to the Orioles’ President of Baseball Operations, Mike Elias, as Elias was with the Houston Astros from 2012 through 2018. Elias already knows the value Valdez can provide, and with the connection already there, it makes this an ideal signing to happen in 2026 MLB Free Agency.