The Orioles are still hunting for rotation help, and the names surfacing around them fit a very specific Baltimore mold. This isn’t the splashy, headline-grabbing lane.
It’s the practical one. The club has been tied to free-agent starters Nick Martinez and Matthew Boyd, two arms who sit much closer to Mike Elias’s comfort zone than the top of the market.
That matters because Baltimore’s need is obvious. The rotation could use a true front-line starter to sort out the rest of the staff, including Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, and Brandon Young.
Scott Boras has suggested the Orioles have the resources to make a bigger move, and Boras represents Tarik Skubal, who is set to meet with the Dodgers, Mets, Padres, and Blue Jays, along with two other mystery teams. Baltimore could be one of those unknown clubs, but that would be reading a lot into the situation.
Martinez and Boyd, though, are the names that have actually been linked to the Orioles. They are not Skubal, and they are not the next tier down like Michael King or Freddy Peralta. They’re more in the Chris Bassitt range: veteran starters in their mid-to-late 30s who can still help, but who also come with the obvious question of how much is left in the tank.
Boyd fits the profile of a pitcher who has had to reinvent himself. He battled through early-career struggles before finding real success later on, and his final season with the Cleveland Guardians was the peak, when he posted a 2.72 ERA in eight starts and looked like an ace. The warning sign is right there in the sample size, because injuries have followed him for much of his career.
His first season with the Cubs looked healthier, at least for a while. Boyd made 31 starts, logged 179 2/3 innings, and finished with a 3.21 ERA.
This year, though, a biceps injury and a torn meniscus cut him down to 22 starts, and he finished with a 3.91 ERA. He’s heading into his age-36 season, and the odds of him getting healthier with time are not exactly encouraging.
Martinez’s stock has risen sharply after his work with the Rays. The 36-year-old had long been viewed as a versatile swingman, someone who could start or soak up innings out of the bullpen.
Tampa put him in the rotation and left him there, and he responded with 31 starts, 180 innings, and a 3.10 ERA. He also made four appearances, three of them starts, and threw 16 innings with a 2.81 ERA during the Rays’ World Series run.
Nick Martinez is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. Age remains a concern, but he could be an intriguing fit for Baltimore’s rotation. https://t.co/vDn5apuWZK pic.twitter.com/gZ7YCYbzDp
- 𝙆am Brice (@kambrice1tv) November 13, 2026
The catch is that Baltimore would be buying at the top of the curve. Martinez is likely in line for his last real chance to cash in, and he’s coming off a strong season. His 2025 numbers with the Reds were less polished, as he posted a 4.45 ERA over 40 appearances, 26 of them starts, while throwing 165 2/3 innings.
Still, the underlying indicators suggest the 2025 and 2026 versions of Martinez may not have been all that different. In 2025, his 4.59 SIERA and 4.54 xFIP lined up closely with his actual production. This year, he posted a 4.63 SIERA and 4.47 xFIP, which points to a similar level of performance beneath the surface.
Neither pitcher would be a bad addition. Boyd would deepen the rotation as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter behind a true ace.
Martinez would give Baltimore a flexible arm who can move between the rotation and bullpen as needed. For a team still trying to settle its pitching picture, that kind of stability has value.
In Other News...
Orioles Free Agency Plan Looks Clearer Than Fans May Want
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Among the pitchers being discussed as realistic fits are David Peterson, Nick Martinez and Patrick Sandoval, all of whom bring different kinds of appeal without pushing the Orioles into a bidding war. The outfield market looks similar, with two targets standing out as plausible additions if Baltimore sticks to its usual budget-minded approach. It is the kind of plan that can fill needs, but it also leaves open the question of whether the Orioles will do enough to match the expectations that come with a roster built to contend. [Read more 🡒]
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The AFLs award list also spotlighted a handful of other standouts from the season, with Welbyn Francisca taking MVP, Tai Peete earning Offensive Player of the Year and Jack ODowd being named Breakout Player of the Year. Kenya Huggins was selected as Reliever of the Year, Teo Banks received the Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award and Maddox Long won the leagues new Community Champion Award, but Honeycutts defensive recognition is the one that will keep Baltimore followers paying attention. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Alonso Just Added To A Long Orioles MVP Frustration
Pete Alonsos fifth-place finish in American League MVP voting gave him his best showing yet, but it also served as another reminder of how long the Orioles have gone without a player claiming that award. Baltimores last AL MVP was Cal Ripken Jr. back in 1991, a stretch that has become part of the franchises broader frustration when it comes to the games biggest individual honors.
The Orioles have had plenty of noteworthy seasons and standout players since then, but the MVP hardware has stayed out of reach while other major awards and voting races have played out around the league this year. Alonsos rise in the ballot only sharpened that contrast, underscoring how rare it has been for an Orioles player to even enter that kind of conversation, let alone finish at the top of it. [Read more 🡒]