Orioles signing projection lands them $164 million ace to help bolster rotation

Jared Bloom

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Orioles signing projection lands them $164 million ace to help bolster rotation image

The Baltimore Orioles come into the offseason looking to put to bed a disastrous 2025 season. Not much went right for this club, from players not playing up to expectations to parting ways with their manager, Brandon Hyde, a few months into the season. 

The front office has its work cut out for itself. They have already improved in one area, signing Ryan Helsley to be the club's newest high-leverage guy, so there's step one.

Now, the focus turns to adding a veteran bat, either as a corner outfielder or first baseman, and bringing in a frontline starter to help bolster the rotation. Expect them to be aggressive in their pursuit of some of the top names. 

Orioles signing projection lands them $164 million ace to help bolster rotation

The Orioles have been heavily tied to free agent Framber Valdez. He leads the open market when it comes to starting pitchers, but they have also been tied to others, like Ranger Suarez. 

The former All-Star is coming off a season where he compiled a 12-8 record with a 3.20 ERA across a career-high 157.1 innings of work. He is someone that The Athletic's Jim Bowden sees Baltimore signing to a six-year, $164 million contract. 

"The Orioles learned the hard way in 2025 what happens when you neglect the pitching market in the offseason. They can't waste the primes of players like Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday by failing to build a strong rotation."

Suarez would immediately make this rotation much better and would be someone the club could depend on in the future. He would be someone who could lead the rotation and be a veteran presence for young guys like Cade Povich.

This would leave the club only needing to address its need for a veteran bat, and there are quite a bit to choose from here.

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Contributing Writer