The Toronto Blue Jays made it to Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, but the Los Angeles Dodgers took the MLB crown with a 5-4 win in the 11th inning.
The Blue Jays are hungry to return to the October Classic and win their first title since they won back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993.
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Toronto’s American League East rival, the Baltimore Orioles, are looking to make significant improvements after finishing at the bottom of the division in 2025 with a 75-87 record.
The Orioles have been a favorite to land former Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez in free agency.
The left-handed pitcher was expected to be the second-highest paid player in free agency behind right fielder Kyle Tucker, who signed a four-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers worth $240 million.
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Bob Nightengale of USA Today named the Blue Jays as a favorite to sign Valdez this offseason. He called Toronto the “biggest threat” to the Orioles to sign the two-time All-Star pitcher.
“They’ve had perhaps the best winter of any team in baseball, spending $337 million to give them every chance for a return trip to the World Series,” Nightingale wrote of the Blue Jays. “So why not push it closer to $500 million?
With the money Toronto has invested in the pitching staff in recent years, adding Valdez would give the organization some room to breathe when free agency hits next offseason.
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“If they signed Valdez, they will have locked up the top two starters on the market, having already signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract,” Nightengale wrote.
“They would be even further flush with starters with Valdez, Cease, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce and Jose Berrios. Considering that Gausman and Bieber are free agents after the 2026 season, the signing of Valdez makes perfect sense.”
Framber Valdez is a reliable starter who brings postseason experience. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
(Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)
Nightengale noted that Toronto was willing to spend $350 million to sign Tucker before the right fielder chose to chase a World Series with the Dodgers.
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Valdez won the World Series with the Astros in 2022. He earned All-MLB First Team honors in 2022. He has a career record of 81-52 with a 3.36 ERA.
Valdez, 32, shows no signs of slowing down. He had a 3.66 ERA in 2025, giving up 78 earned runs in 192 innings pitched. He recorded 187 strikeouts for Houston.
Nightingale believes the Orioles are poised to bounce back in 2025. Valdez would be a threat to the Blue Jays in the AL East.
“Valdez would give them (Baltimore) a formidable rotation with Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Dean Kremer and Zach Eflin already in the mix,” Nightengale wrote.
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The Blue Jays must consider signing Valdez not only to boost their rotation but also to make sure that Baltimore doesn’t have the ace winning games in the AL East.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.