{"id":507883,"date":"2026-01-06T13:49:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T13:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/507883\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T13:49:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T13:49:12","slug":"orioles-are-still-in-the-market-for-top-free-agent-starting-pitchers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/507883\/","title":{"rendered":"Orioles are still in the market for top free agent starting pitchers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shortly after the Orioles traded for right-hander Shane Baz<\/a>, president of baseball operations Mike Elias talked up the potential for Baz to become a top-of-the-rotation starter but didn\u2019t close the door on additional moves.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think the roster is a finished product,\u201d Elias said last month. \u201cWe\u2019re going to keep working for opportunities to keep improving the roster.\u201d<\/p>\n

With spring training a little more than a month away, Baltimore remains engaged in the market for the top remaining free agent starters, sources familiar with the Orioles\u2019 approach said.<\/p>\n

That includes left-hander Ranger Su\u00e1rez, one source said. Baltimore is still involved in the market for left-hander Framber Valdez, too, a second source said. And Baltimore continues to monitor trade opportunities as well, a third source said.<\/p>\n

At the midpoint of the winter, the Orioles have already demonstrated a refreshing level of aggression. They landed first baseman Pete Alonso on a five-year, $155 million contract<\/a> \u2014 by far the richest deal of the Elias era \u2014 which shows a willingness to push the chips in as Baltimore attempts to rebound from a 2025 collapse.<\/p>\n

\"Baltimore<\/p>\n

The Orioles brought back right-handed pitcher Zach Eflin. (Jared Soares for The Banner)<\/p>\n

Much of the Orioles\u2019 spending thus far is tied up in Alonso\u2019s contract, but they have been among the largest spenders this winter. According to FanGraphs<\/a>, Baltimore has spent $195.1 million on free agents this winter, a tally that trails only the Toronto Blue Jays\u2019 (who have spent $337 million).<\/p>\n

The Orioles added right-handed closer Ryan Helsley<\/a>, brought back right-handers Zach Eflin<\/a>, Albert Su\u00e1rez<\/a> and Andrew Kittredge<\/a>, and traded for outfielder Taylor Ward<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In doing so, they\u2019ve checked multiple boxes on their needs list. Helsley, who led the majors with 49 saves in 2024, might be the most vital addition considering the state of the bullpen at the end of 2025. Kittredge and the return of left-hander Dietrich Enns also stabilize that area.<\/p>\n

Ward\u2019s right-handed power potential bolsters the lineup, and Eflin, who should be healthy following season-ending back surgery, is a floor-raising arm.<\/p>\n

Despite those additions, Baltimore still appears to lack the final piece. Even the best pitching staffs are held together with ifs, but the ifs grow more concrete with proven assets. <\/p>\n

Currently, the Orioles feel bullish about the ability of left-hander Trevor Rogers and right-hander Kyle Bradish to lead the rotation. But a splash for an ace would bring the perceived strength of the rotation nearer to that of the lineup.<\/p>\n

Su\u00e1rez and Valdez fit that profile, although it remains to be seen whether there is a gap in the number of years they desire and the length Baltimore would be willing to offer. Su\u00e1rez is 30; Valdez is 32. The trend for many high-end starters is to seek a lengthy contract<\/a>, not just high average annual values.<\/p>\n

Of course, the five-year deal for Alonso, 30, is a sign that Baltimore is willing to offer both money and years to lure free agents to Camden Yards. The back ends of those contracts are frequently less flattering in terms of value as player performance wanes, but that is the cost of acquiring big-name talent. The near-term benefit outweighs long-term risk, at least theoretically.<\/p>\n

The Orioles could look in other directions for one final rotation addition. Right-hander Zac Gallen could be a target after he pitched 192 innings with a 4.83 ERA for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Another trade is not out of the realm of possibility.<\/p>\n

\"Ranger<\/p>\n

Ranger Su\u00e1rez has a career 1.48 ERA in 42 2\/3 postseason innings. (Ronald Martinez\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

But Su\u00e1rez and Valdez are clear ceiling-raising pitchers. They\u2019re the type of arms that bolster confidence when they take the ball for Game 1 of a playoff series. As agent Scott Boras said at the winter meetings, \u201cIn the postseason, when you add a Su\u00e1rez, you\u2019re armed and Rangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pun was cringeworthy, but it\u2019s based in truth. Su\u00e1rez, who is coming off a season in which he produced a 3.20 ERA in 157 1\/3 innings for the Philadelphia Phillies, has a career 1.48 ERA in 42 2\/3 postseason innings.<\/p>\n

Valdez also has big-game experience, with 85 playoff innings under his belt (with a 4.34 ERA). He\u2019s also an innings eater, having pitched 176 1\/3 innings or more in each of his last four seasons.<\/p>\n

For all the improvements the Orioles have made so far, one final move to raise the level of the rotation even further would firmly plant the club among the favorites in a dogged American League East. <\/p>\n

The rotation picture may grow crowded. In addition to Bradish, Rogers, Baz and Eflin, the Orioles have Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells, Cade Povich and Brandon Young. But the injuries that plagued the pitching staff in 2025 prove there is never such a thing as too many options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Shortly after the Orioles traded for right-hander Shane Baz, president of baseball operations Mike Elias talked up the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":507884,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2374],"tags":[143,47,2538,5,19693,4,125,12534,185,151],"class_list":["post-507883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-baltimore-orioles","tag-baltimore","tag-baltimore-orioles","tag-baltimoreorioles","tag-baseball","tag-media-day","tag-mlb","tag-orioles","tag-portrait","tag-sports","tag-spring-training"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/115848476556089026","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/507883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=507883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/507883\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/507884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=507883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=507883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=507883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}