The Baltimore Orioles have had one of the better offseasons in Major League Baseball so far. While the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays have garnered the most attention, the Orioles' offseason cannot be ignored.
Pete Alosno, Ryan Helsley, and Zach Eflin in free agency, with Shane Baz and Taylor Ward in trades. The moves Mike Elias and company have made this winter have been huge for the team.
But, one more move, for a starter, could be on the horizon. ESPN's Paul Hembekides predicted that such a move is coming, specifically, that the Orioles sign a lefty ace from the Houston Astros, Framber Valdez, to a $180 million free-agent deal.
Orioles predicted to sign Framber Valdez for $180M
"But general manager Mike Elias, entering the final year of his contract, has one more haymaker left: Framber Valdez," Hembekides writes. "With Ranger Suarez landing $130 million over five years in Boston, Valdez projects to get around six years and $180 million - a deal that would vault the O's past the Dodgers and Blue Jays as baseball's top free agent spenders."
Spending $180 million on one player is a lot, and for Valdez, the 32-year-old left-handed pitcher from the Astros, that deal would be a lot.
His market hasn't developed the way he would've liked, as the Orioles are now the clear option for Valdez, and Baltimore might be able to get a slightly cheaper deal than they might've had if the Mets and some other top teams hadn't gone after other starters.
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But, even this $180 million prediction for Valdez isn't that bad for the Orioles. He's coming off a solid 3.66 ERA season in 2025 with 187 strikeouts and a 1.24 WHIP.
In 2024, Valdez had a 2.91 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in 176.1 innings pitched. While he might not be the most high-profile starter in baseball, adding him to the Orioles' current rotation would be the perfect move.
If the Orioles can add Valdez, and on this $180 million, six-year deal, not only would they have the most spent this offseason, but their team would become a much more serious World Series contender.
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