The Orioles are known to be looking for other pitchers. They are linked to Framber Valdez, Justin Verlander again Zac Gallen in recent weeks. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Lucas Giolito he is a person and they think deeply about him. Giolito also received reported interest from Detroit and Atlanta in the past month.
The O’s have made several moves to address their rotation already this offseason. They benefited Shane Baz from the Rays and re-signed the veteran Zach Eflin. They take it out again Grayson Rodrigueztrading him to the Angels Taylor Ward.
So far, they should be Trevor Rogers, Kyle BradishBaz and Eflin in four spots. Fifth place was probably his go-to Dean Kremerwho has consistently posted an earned run average in the low 4.00s for several years now.
Every team needs more than five starters to finish the season in the modern game, so depth is important. Tyler Wells missed most of the past two seasons due to ulnar collateral ligament surgery but was an active starter before that. Chayce McDermott, Kade Povich again Brandon Young they have list locations but they haven’t clicked on the priority yet. They all have options and could be kept in Triple-A as option depth. Albert Suárez is in the midst of a minor league deal for undrafted veterans. Trey Gibson he doesn’t have a roster spot yet but is one of the league’s top hitters and has reached the Triple-A level, so he should push for a 2026 debut.
A decent team overall. Arguably, they need more upside than they need more depth. They don’t really have anyone to call an ace. Rogers ended up having a great 2025, finishing with a 1.81 ERA. However, he started the season on the injured list, recovering from a sprained right knee. Even when he was healthy, he was kept from children for a while. He was not reinstated permanently until June. Bradish missed most of the last two seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Baz has an interesting offense but he just posted a 4.87 ERA last year.
Last winter, Baltimore went with older veterans who have a theoretically stable but upside-down, signature floor. Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano again Kyle Gibson. Those measures did not work well and the rotation was a big mistake in 2025.
Whether Giolito can provide the opposite of the guys currently on the roster is debatable. He once looked like a borderline ace but it’s been a few years since he showed that form. He made 72 starts for the White Sox from 2019 to 2021 with a 3.47 ERA, a 30.7% strikeout rate and an 8% walk rate, receiving at least one Cy Young vote in each campaign. But his numbers declined over the next two years, as his ERAs hovered near 5.00 with strikeout rates in the 25% range. He then missed 2024 due to UCL surgery.
In 2025, he went back, to some extent. He made 26 starts for the Red Sox with a 3.41 ERA. He was even better after a cold start, with a 2.51 ERA over his last 19 appearances. But he only struck out 19.7% of the batters he faced on the year. Even with that strong pressure in his last 19 starts, he only struck out 20.3% of the batters he faced. He missed the playoffs due to flexor irritation and a bone problem in his throwing arm. He said the matter ended just after the end of the season.
Given Baltimore’s current rotation picture, they could certainly use the 2019-2021 version of Giolito. His latest product wouldn’t be as exciting as someone like Valdez but it would be cheaper. At the start of the season, MLBTR predicted Valdez would get $150MM over five years and Giolito $32MM over two years. With February on the horizon, it’s possible Valdez will insist on some sort of short-term deal to get out, but he should still cost more than Giolito’s every year.
It should be slightly dry powder. RosterResource projects the Orioles at a $148MM payroll next year. They started 2025 at $165MM, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. If they want to spend the same number this year, they should have $15-20MM to spend. If they can list a Ryan Mountcastle trade, as it is greatly hindered Pete Alonsothat would free up about $7MM more.
Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images
