The Baltimore Orioles aren’t sitting quietly this offseason - far from it. After missing the playoffs in 2025, the O’s have made it clear they’re not content watching October baseball from the couch. The message from the front office is loud and clear: it’s time to win, and they’re willing to spend to make it happen.
The biggest splash so far? Pete Alonso.
The former Mets slugger is heading to Baltimore on a five-year deal, defying expectations that he’d return to Queens. It’s a bold move and a statement signing.
Alonso brings serious power to the middle of the Orioles’ lineup - the kind of bat that can change a game with one swing and anchor an offense in crunch time.
But Alonso isn’t the only piece. The Orioles have already addressed multiple needs across the roster.
Outfield? Check - they’ve added Taylor Ward.
Bullpen? Covered - they’ve brought in Andrew Kittredge and locked down the closer role with Ryan Helsley.
That’s a solid foundation. Still, there’s one glaring question left on the checklist: starting pitching.
Baltimore’s rotation was serviceable last season, but serviceable doesn’t win in October. That’s why the O’s are being linked to two of the top arms still on the market: Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez.
Both lefties. Both battle-tested.
Both capable of giving this team exactly what it needs - reliable innings, playoff experience, and the ability to go toe-to-toe with the best lineups in baseball.
Valdez, with his heavy sinker and postseason pedigree, would slide in as a frontline starter from Day 1. Suárez, meanwhile, is a bit more under the radar, but anyone who’s watched him pitch knows he’s got the poise and stuff to thrive in big moments. Either one would represent a major upgrade for Baltimore’s rotation.
MLB insider Jim Bowden weighed in on the situation, and he didn’t mince words. While he acknowledged that negotiations with top-tier pitchers can take time - especially with the market still settling - he expressed confidence that the Orioles are in a strong position to land one of them.
“Sometimes it takes a little while for the pitchers who have the expectations,” Bowden said. “You have to start figuring out the options.
A lot comes into that. I will say this, I feel confident that the Baltimore Orioles are going to land either Suárez or Valdez.”
That’s a significant vote of confidence - and it’s backed by the Orioles’ recent moves. Signing Alonso wasn’t just about upgrading first base; it was about signaling to the rest of the league, and to potential free agents, that Baltimore is serious.
This isn’t a rebuild anymore. It’s a team with a young core - Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Adley Rutschman - that’s ready to contend now.
Adding a frontline starter is the final piece. And if the Orioles can close the deal on either Valdez or Suárez, they’ll have checked every box this offseason.
The AL East is no picnic - it never is - but Baltimore is building a roster that can hold its own and then some. If this pitching move comes through, don’t be surprised to see the O’s playing deep into October next year.