In November, the SF Giants reportedly met with two-time AL All-Star Framber Valdez but they will have some healthy competition. Jon Heyman of The New York Reports that the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles have also met with Valdez.
SF Giants among trio of teams that have expressed interest in two-time All-Star
Unless Heyman is referencing a different meeting than the one that took place between the Giants and Valdez at the general manager meetings, this is not necessarily news on that front. If they had genuine interest, they likely would have worked out a deal in the six weeks since those meetings initially took place.
The market has not been nearly as robust for a handful of free-agent players. Valdez is not the only accomplished pitcher to see his market slow to develop. Tatsuya Imai’s market is nearing a resolution, as his posting window is set to expire on January 2, 2026. The Giants could re-enter this market if the asking price aligns with their evaluation of the star NPB pitcher.
As Heyman notes, the Mets have been hesitant to hand out long-term deals to pitchers since David Stearns took over that front office. They have been similar to the Giants in that regard, so there is a good chance that Valdez’s next contract will be out of their comfort zone.
The Orioles appear poised to have a big offseason after being one of the most disappointing teams in baseball last year. They began the offseason by hiring Craig Albernaz as their next manager.
The Orioles reeled in Pete Alonso on a five-year deal, and acquired power-hitting outfielder Taylor Ward and pitcher Shane Baz in a pair of trades. After winning just 75 games in 2025, the pressure might be mounting on the team president of baseball operations, Mike Elias, to put together a winner. Adding a pitcher of Valdez’s caliber would round out an active offseason for Baltimore.
On the other hand, the Giants still have an opening in the rotation. General manager Zack Minasian has conveyed his comfort with filling that spot internally. It is not a bad idea to publicly express confidence in the internal options, but it would be a bit surprising if the Giants felt this way privately.
In some ways, Valdez has been the AL version of Logan Webb in that he handles a heavy workload and excels at keeping the ball on the ground. That type of pitcher should be in demand in free agency, but the potential lockout could be affecting how teams might be approaching this offseason. The southpaw pitcher also had a cross-up with his catcher during the 2025 season that is tough to overlook, especially considering that San Francisco’s front office is now being run by a former catcher.
This might not necessarily be news on the Giants’ front. Their inclusion in this report could represent authentic interest, or it could be leveraged to create a market that might not have a lot of suitors.