The Baltimore Orioles struggled throughout the 2025 season. The club’s youthful talents, including Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Colton Cowser, saw their offensive production dip.
Furthermore, the squad experienced a high number of injuries, particularly among the starting pitchers. Grayson Rodriguez missed the season due to an elbow injury, Kyle Bradish was unable to play since he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, and closer Felix Baustista had a season-ending shoulder injury that is expected to keep him out next season.
Baltimore heads into the offseason with a lot of questions. And they still need to find a new manager after the club fired Brandon Hyde in May.
Baltimore’s main concern heading into the offseason is rebuilding the starting pitching rotation. They cannot compete with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, or Toronto Blue Jays without a true ace.
Orioles ‘best fit’ for two-time All-Star pitcher
Fortunately for them, there will be plenty of talent available on the open market. They might potentially sign a pitcher on the trade market, with players like Mitch Keller and Sandy Alcantara believed to be available throughout the winter.
However, Fansided’s Robert Murray believes they are a solid fit to sign two-time All-Star Framber Valdez. Valdez will be a free agent at the end of the season, having spent eight seasons with the Houston Astros.
“Valdez’s track record speaks for itself.” In eight seasons with Houston, the left-hander had a 3.36 ERA in 1080.2 innings, with 1053 strikeouts. In 2025, he had a 3.66 ERA in 312 starts and 187 strikeouts.
Valdez has served as Houston’s ace in recent seasons and may lead the Baltimore rotation. He would be an excellent addition to a squad that is projected to be quite busy during the winter.