At this point, the Baltimore Orioles’ failure to sign Framber Valdez would no longer be a strategic surprise. It would be a shock—and an inexcusable disappointment.
From the start of the offseason, the Orioles’ message was clear: they needed a frontline starter. Someone who could step up to the top of the rotation when October arrived. The Shane Baz trade added depth, but nobody really believed it was the final answer. Baz was a potential gamble, not an affirmation of ambition.
Therefore, all roads led to Framber Valdez.
Baltimore and Valdez had been linked for months. Not just fleeting rumors, but a simmering, prolonged wait, to the point where fans almost took it for granted. And it was that “probability” that made the risk even greater.
There were reasons to hesitate with Valdez. Age. The sheer volume of pitching over the years. Questions about long-term contracts remain. But if those factors were truly insurmountable obstacles, the Orioles would have turned around long ago. Instead, they remain stagnant — and the market hasn’t.
Looking directly at the remaining options, the picture becomes bleak. Zac Gallen is the only name that could arguably come close to the level of early rotation. But that comes at a price: losing another draft pick, and the risk of only securing a short-term contract as Gallen seeks to reassert his value and return to the market as soon as possible. That’s not the stability the Orioles claim they’re looking for.
The other options only make things clearer. Chris Bassitt and Lucas Giolito are familiar names, reliable in certain roles — but at this stage, they’re more like No. 4 starters on a strong team than aces. Signing them isn’t wrong. But signing them in place of Valdez is a breach of promise.
Even the fact that some analysts are starting to mention Trey Gibson as a rotation option shows that the Orioles are nearing the “firefighting” zone. Gibson has power arm, strikeout, and has reached Triple-A — but that doesn’t make him the solution to the problem the team has been setting for itself since November.
The biggest problem isn’t Valdez. It’s the expectations.
The Orioles told their fans they would make a big move. They’ve left Framber Valdez’s name hanging in the balance throughout the offseason. And now, with spring training just weeks away, failing to finalize this deal will make any subsequent explanations seem weak.
There’s still time. There’s still a chance for the Orioles to make the big move they’ve been hinting at for so long. But if they don’t, the feeling left behind will be more than just disappointment from a lack of pitching.
It would feel like being led astray—and left behind—right on the threshold of a season Baltimore should have entered with much more confidence.
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