Baltimore Sports Today

Baltimore Sports News Continuously Updated

What Other Free Agent Pitchers Can the Orioles Grab?

by

The calendar is soon flipping to February, meaning the Baltimore Orioles’ pitchers and catchers report to camp on Feb. 11.

The signings of first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Ryan Helsley helped start Baltimore’s offseason on a grand note. It continued with the trade for outfielder Taylor Ward and starting pitcher Shane Baz, while keeping their youth core. Coming off a disappointing 2025 season, the Orioles could be contenders again with their activity.

Even with a new lineup, a new manager in Craig Albernaz, and money left to spend, the team might not be done before spring training. Reports suggest the Orioles are looking to add one more starting pitcher to their rotation. The good news is that there are suitable options left even as the clock moves towards spring.

Framber Valdez, Left-Handed Pitcher

2025 Stats: 31 starts (two complete games); 13-11; 3.66 ERA; 192 innings pitched; 82 hits and 68 walks (1.245 WHIP), 15 HR; 187 K; .238 OBA

Former Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez remains the top-tier pitcher on the market, which might not come as a shock to a few.

Some of it stems from the catcher cross-up incident with catcher Cesar Salazar in September 2025. During a game against the New York Yankees, Valdez surrendered a grand slam to outfielder Trent Grisham in the fifth inning. It also appeared Salazar had motioned Valdez to step off the mound before the pitch.

Valdez, in the next at-bat, appeared to hit Salazar in the chest with an unexpected pitch. Analysts and fans suggested the pitch was intentional, a claim Valdez, Salazar, and the front office denied. Tensions reportedly rose in the clubhouse, suggesting Valdez might have been a problem before the incident. It could be something to consider.

Still, the 32-year-old is an effective starting pitcher. Valdez nearly led the MLB among starting pitchers in groundball rate, with nearly 60% of all batted balls finding the dirt. He also garnered a 30% chase rate and 27% whiff rate, though he struggled with a 46% hard-hit rate.

Valdez is an unusual pitcher in terms of pitch selection. He only threw his fastball 21 times in 2025, 1% of all his pitches, relying more on his slider and curveball. His Sinker struggled to a .277 batting average and .378 slugging, but his Curveball remained strong. It did jump from .121 to .193 in batting average year-over-year, but he netted over 65% of his strikeouts on it.

He did have major issues in August and September before free agency, tossing a six ERA over 58 innings, including seven home runs. His strikeout number decreased significantly, while his WHIP ballooned to 1.50. It could be a sign of an underlying injury or character issues on the mound. If the Orioles can tackle the cause and retool his curveball, he’ll be their ace or second behind Trevor Rogers.

Zac Gallen, Right-Handed Pitcher

2025 Stats: 33 starts; 13-15; 4.83 ERA; 192 innings pitched; 176 hits to 66 walks (1.260 WHIP); 31 HR; 175 K; .239 OBA

Gallen has run into some serious trouble in the last two years. Following a dominant 2022 campaign and an all-star nod in 2023, there’s been a notable decline in his performance.

The 30-year-old’s home run number ballooned from 13 in 2024 to 31 in 2025, while his walk rate has steadily climbed. Worse, his strikeout numbers are dipping slowly, suggesting he’s no longer fooling hitters. He’s a capable pitcher in need of a revamp. Perhaps a shift to the American League could be in order.

Looking deeper into his numbers, all of his metrics between 2022 and 2025 have taken a steep hit. His chase rate and strikeout rates, both 32% and 27% in 2022, respectively, collapsed around 4-5 percentage points. His hard-hit rate ballooned from 36% to 43%, while his walk rate is approaching 9%.

Most of his pitches are not working at the moment. His four-seamer, which he throws nearly half of the time, sits at a .247 batting average with a .418 slugging. His Knuckle Curve, which was at .140 in 2024, is now at .219 with nine home runs. He’ll still get strikeouts, but it’s a far cry from his 2022 efficiency with both pitches under .200.

It doesn’t seem there are a lot of issues in terms of his delivery or execution, given he’s not dropping in groundball percentage or losing velocity on pitches. Rather, his spread in pitch location might be too compact. He loves to live on specific corners for each pitch, which is comfortable for him but easy to read for batters. If an offspeed pitch is traveling a certain way, they know what it is.

The Orioles could give Gallen a benefit with a change of scenery, but diversifying his location might help. It’s really trial and error with Gallen, but it could have a huge upside.

Lucas Giolito, Right-Handed Pitcher

2025 Stats: 26 starts; 10-4; 3.41 ERA; 145 innings pitched; 131 hits and 56 walks (1.29 WHIP); 17 HR; 121 K; .239 OBA

A name that recently appeared connected to the Orioles is former Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito. The 30-year-old came back with a strong campaign after missing 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery. This could be a contingency plan if the team misses out on Valdez or Gallen, but Giolito offers some upside.

Before going into the numbers, it should be mentioned that Giolito had a strong run with the Chicago White Sox. He pitched three complete games, two of them shutouts, in 2019 and garnered Cy Young votes that year, in 2020, and in 2021. While the Orioles likely won’t get that version of Giolito, he’s still an option.

There are some warning signs regarding Giolito’s decline and post-injury performance. He finished below league average in multiple statistical categories, including a 27% chase rate and lacking 23% whiff rate. His under 20% strikeout rate might not suit a team in need of power pitchers.

There is some good news with Giolito, however. He does have an effective curveball, which he can fall back on with a .194 average, but is susceptible to home runs. His four-seamer didn’t get crushed for 19 home runs as it did in 2023, but it still finds the field often at a .267 clip.

His solid contact numbers are at an all-time high, sitting at 7.4% in 2025. He’s not inducing enough weak contact for his pitching profile, and more players are getting under the ball. The lack of a strong vertical or horizontal break on his pitches might have something to do with it.

Giolito is solid in the back of a bullpen, but not as a frontline starter. The Orioles might have to bite the bullet on this one if they miss out on both Valdez and Gallen.

 

Main Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images