When the clock strikes 5 p.m., free agency will officially be underway in Major League Baseball. 

The 2026 class doesn’t feature a headliner like Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto, but there is plenty of talent to be had. Spotrac estimates a dozen players to earn at least $20 million annually, a list that includes six starting pitchers. 

Throughout the offseason, we’ll take a deep dive into some potential fits in Baltimore. 

Player: Framber Valdez, LHP, 31 years old  

2025 Stats: 13-11, 192.0 IP, 3.66 ERA, 1.245 WHIP, 8.8 K/9, 3.2 BB/9

FanGraphs Contract Estimate: 5 years, $135 million 

Player profile: Valdez has been the model of consistency since cementing himself in Houston’s starting rotation in 2020. 

In the five seasons that followed, the lefty started 143 games, an average of about 29 per season, with a 3.20 ERA, striking out close to nine batters and walking three per nine innings. That stretch included three top-10 Cy Young Award finishes and two top-20 MVP finishes. 

Valdez excels at getting the ball on the ground, but is susceptible to hard contact. 

Dating back to 2021, the 31-year-old has never been below the 90th percentile in groundball rate, according to Statcast. In 2025, that number was at a whopping 59.4 percent. Athletic infielders like Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and Jeremy Peña have been perfect fits behind him. 

However, each of the last three seasons, Valdez has been in the bottom 10 percent in hard-hit rate, posting a figure over 46 percent this past season. Luckily for Valdez, it doesn’t have the kind of negative impact that you may think. 

His sinker, the primary offering in his arsenal, is hit hard over 50 percent of the time, but still had a run value of positive 14. According to Statcast, that ranked as the fifth-best sinker in the game among those qualified. Valdez limits the longball, too, surrendering fewer than one per nine innings dating back to 2019. 

The left-hander’s 3.66 ERA in 2025 was the highest mark since 2019, but that should say more about his ability rather than a cause for concern. Valdez’s combination of consistency and durability make him arguably the top free agent starting pitcher on the market. 

Fit in Baltimore: A pitcher of Valdez’s ability would be a fit just about anywhere. It’s also true that while the O’s have a particular need for a front end starting pitcher, most other teams around baseball do, too. Starting pitching is always widely sought after in free agency for good reason. 

The team that just won the World Series did so on the back of an excellent rotation. In the postseason, Dodgers starters posted a 2.68 ERA in over 100 innings, limiting batters to a .186 batting average. 

Of course, Los Angeles’ rotation includes some massive contracts. But the O’s already have a few front-line starters in house in Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers and a potentially healthy Grayson Rodriguez. Adding Valdez to the mix would give Baltimore one of the most formidable staffs in the American League. 

Valdez’s style fits the O’s as well. His elite groundball rate must be paired with athletic infielders, and the Orioles have three natural shortstops playing second base, third base and short itself. 

The Orioles have a need for a top starter, and Valdez certainly fits that bill. How attainable he is with the rest of the league vying for his services will be the question.